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clairewritesjjkxreader · 4 months

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Sukuna’s Wife and Yuuji’s Onee-chan (Sukuna x Reincarnated!Y/N) scenario: Heian era childhood

Request by @serendipitylovescat

A/N: This is a possible origin story for Sukuna and Y/N in this onee-chan au, but I haven’t made up my mind as to how the two met and what their lives were like in the early days. Much like with the Joker’s multiple choice past, it’s the mystery that keeps on giving. Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE.

Trigger warning: child abuse, bullying, violence, swearing

Ryomen Sukuna. Two-faced Sukuna. Bastard. Murderer. Halfling. Demon.

Normally, parents give extra thought when naming their children. For a lot of boys, they’re usually named based on desired traits like “strong” or “powerful.” But for this son, his father snidely called him “two-faced” and the name stuck.

Like every baby when they are born, Sukuna arrived in this world covered in blood and weeping. The other villagers could only think of the worst outcome for his mother. After all, so many young wives who were healthier than she died during labor, so it was only normal to expect the stick-thin woman to pass on.

But for better or worse, she survived.

A smooth delivery would normally be a thing of celebration, a living mother and her plump baby were supposed to be a blessing. For Sukuna’s parents, such a thing was a curse.

Born with four arms and four eyes and suspiciously symmetrical birthmarks, such an abomination could only be a curse.

His father suspected his wife of seducing a yōkai, he became a drunk and beat his wife daily, unwilling to even look at the thing that she claimed to be his own son. The other villagers believed that he ate his twin inside their mother and was punished by the gods.

No one knew the truth, not even the child himself.

One thing they could all agree on was this: Sukuna was a monster.

He was a monster who pushed his father into doing bad things. He was a monster who caused his mother shame and suffering, as she loved to remind him every single day.

Sukuna leaned on the tree, watching as the other kids in their little village played tag. His stomach growled but he could only ignore it. If he returned home to eat, his mother would yell at him. He only ate when she was asleep or beaten into unconsciousness by his father.

“Found you.”

Sukuna looked up and beamed. That’s right, everyone except one person hated him.

Unlike him, you were normal as far as his eyes could see, but you didn’t like staying in your house and you didn’t talk about your family. Neither of you liked anything or anyone in this village, only each other.

“Onigiri with fatty tuna I caught this morning,” you said, sitting next to him.

Sukuna voraciously bit into the rice and fish, savoring every moment with gratitude. “You’re the best cook I know.”

“Tell me if you want some tea. I managed to sneak some out.”

“Thanks–” his grin faded when he spotted familiar black and blue spots on your inner arm. They were the same bruises his mother had when she tried to block her husband’s hands.

“Who did this?” He asked, his three free hands grabbing your wrist.

“Ryo-chan,” you said his nickname–you were the only one who was never afraid of saying his name–“you’re hurting me.”

“S-sorry.” He pulled away two hands and softened the grip on the remaining one. He gently rotated your arm to get a better look. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” You grinned. “I know you didn’t mean to.”

“Did you—”

“Hey, Ryo-chan…” You shook off his grasp, causing him to frown, but you quickly intertwined your fingers together, making him blush. “If I told you I plan to run away, will you come with me?”

He almost dropped the onigiri.

Your smile became sad. “I… You’re the only one I will ever miss. I don’t like this place.”

He put his remaining hands over your connected fingers and he blurted out, “Yes!”

You blinked, wide-eyed.

He cleared his throat and looked away. “I-I mean, yes, let’s go.”

Your face brightened and he smiled back.

That’s right. Even if this damned village burned to the ground, as long as your hand never let go of his then nothing else mattered.

Additional headcanons for this scenario:

Sukuna’s dad never hit him because deep inside the man was actually afraid. So he took out his frustrations on his wife, who in turn, blames her misfortune on her son.

Speaking of Sukuna’s mother, she was a vain beauty, the most gorgeous in their village during her prime, and was distraught when her appearance faded due to malnutrition during her pregnancy. The entire time, she silently prayed that the baby would die early so she could recover quickly. So in addition to her husband’s mistreatment of her, the loss of her looks has made her resent her son.

The other village kids didn’t like Sukuna because he gave off a “disgusting energy” (or “bad vibes” as today’s lingo would call it). Some avoided him but others went out of their way to gang up on him, beating him up and stealing whatever he carried, be it food or toys from you.

Sukuna didn’t fight back because he truly believed that he deserved every bad thing that happened to him. That being said, he allowed himself one selfish choice and accepted your company, enjoying your friendship. The only warmth in his otherwise dead existence.

The first time Sukuna resorted to violence was…it was a few days after your proposal. It was a few minutes before day break and he caught the other kids holding your head down a nearby pond. He didn’t know what he did, only what happened after: you were crying into his chest, hugging and thanking him despite the blood all over him.

After washing himself, he walked you home, hair and clothes still wet from the pond, your mother was the first person to see you. Instead of concern or worry, she slapped you across the face in front of everyone before dragging you away by the hair.

Because it was your mother, he could only watch on, until your eyes met and you whimpered his name.

That night, a little village with no more than fifty people, burned to the ground as two children watched hand in hand.

A/N: Speaking of multiple choice past; in JJK (and sadly, even in real life parts of the world), twins are considered bad luck. What if Sukuna didn’t consume his twin in utero and they both survived? What if both fell for Y/N? What if the current Sukuna killed and ate his own brother because he wanted to, in his own sick way, combine himself and his twin into one being so that Y/N wouldn’t have to choose?? Hot damn. The perfect yandere love triangle. But what a pain that would be to write without illustration LOLOLOL.

@shadowywizardarcade @hannya-exists @nineooooo @lilachaeyo @pumpkindudeishere @jessbeinme15 @fluffy-koalala @cringeycookies @frogzxch @isimpfordanielpark @marvelsgirl4ever @sanzusmom @sheccidoscar @alastorhazbin @satosuguswife @lumanii @leahlovesreading @blackstaw @boba–12

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didyoutrydynamite · 1 year

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The Domestic Job

Jaune/Neo/Adam: *Sitting around their latest hideout when Cinder walks in with her scroll.*

Cinder: Well, after a bit of digging, it seems that our most lucrative opportunity lies in a certain... Hit. The target is worth a tidy sum of $25,000, enough to satisfy our needs for the time being.

Adam: A Hit, huh? Are we finally dropping that “No Killing” rule?

Neo: *Gasps with excitement.*

Jaune: No! We’re not. Right?

Cinder: All the client requests is that the target is “out of the picture”, the exact details will be up to us.

Jaune: *Sigh of relief*

Adam: Tsk.

Neo: *Pouts*

Cinder: So, the target is Asher Cross. Male, caucasian, mid forties, unemployed, with a limp in his right knee. He frequents bars and brothels, and is known to physically abuse his wife, Luanne Cross. Typical scum, really.

Jaune: Agreed, but why do I feel like there’s about to be a catch?

Cinder: Asher Cross is a former Huntsman, forced into an early retirement after an accident with his leg. Now he collects Huntsman Relief Checks and spends it all on booze and women.

Adam: Of course it couldn’t be that easy.

Neo: *Smacks the table, then hand signs with a look of absolute disgust*

Jaune: Neo just pointed out that $25,000 is four times less than the market rates on Hits against Huntsmen… I hate that you know that off the top of your head.

Neo: *Winks at Jaune*

Adam: Her point still stands, $25k is a steep price to go after a Huntsman, retired or not. It’s down right idiotic to go after a Huntsman for $25k and NOT kill him. It’s just asking for us to get caught.

Cinder: Our client has limited funds, and $25,000 is the maximum amount they can afford. Besides, killing Asher would only lead to a murder investigation that would make our client the prime suspect. It's worth noting that our client is Luanne's brother, who has tried to help her in the past by calling the police, offering her a place to stay, and even confronting Asher, which led to our client being hospitalized. However, Luanne is too afraid to press charges against her abusive husband, and Asher has made it clear that he will kill our client if he intervenes again.

Jaune: *Shakes his head* This Asher guy used to be a Huntsman? How do you go from hunting monsters to abusing an innocent woman?

Adam: *Shrugs* Must be losing his status as a Huntsman had something to do with it. When you're used to having power, it can be tough to lose it all at once.He's just holding onto what little he has left and taking out his frustration on those around him.

Cinder/Jaune/Neo: *Stare pointedly at Adam*

Adam: …What?

Jaune: So, what's the plan? Do we corner Asher, intimidate him into leaving, and tell him never to return?

Cinder: *Shakes her head* That's too risky. Even if we succeed in scaring him off, there's a good chance he'll just come back and continue abusing Luanne, or worse.

Neo: *Hand signs with some conjured subtitles* But what if Asher just happened to... disappear? *Peace signs and then disappears from view*

Adam: A disappearance is just as suspicious as a murder, and it would be a much bigger hassle for us if we had to drag him somewhere he couldn't make it back from. If we approach this directly Asher will put up a fight and bring every cop in the city into our mess. I can handle a crippled Huntsman any day of the week, but I’d rather not get the police involved.

Jaune: …What if we did get the police involved?

Cinder: That's a risky move, Jaune. We're criminals, remember? We're not exactly on good terms with the law. *Crosses her arms with a hint of a smile* Do you have something particularly in mind?

Jaune: *Sly smile* Oh yeah, I’ve got something in mind.

~O~O~O~O~O~

Asher: *Sitting at a bar, drinking*

Cinder: Is this seat taken? *Wearing a skimpy qi-pao*

Asher: *oggles her figure* Uh, no, go ahead.

Cinder: Thanks, Handsome. *Sits down and scoots close to him* What brings you here tonight?

Asher: *Shrugs* Just needed a break from the daily grind, I guess. What about you?

Cinder: *Coy smile* Oh, I'm just passing through. Thought I'd stop in for a drink and see what kind of trouble I could get into. *Brushes hand against his arm*

Asher: *Greasy grin* Well, you certainly look like you're up for some trouble.

Cinder: *Dark chuckle* You have no idea~.

~O~O~O~O~O~

CRASH!

Luanne: A-Asher is that you? *Walks into the living room*

Mr.Muffins: Meow! *Sitting next to a broken vase*

Luanne: Oh Mr. Muffins, what did you do? I-I better clean this up before Asher gets home. *Walks off towards kitchen*

Neo: *Reappears perched on the fireplace mantle* Whew! *Grabs Asher’s Huntsman Weapon mounted above the mantle and quietly drops down next to Mr. Mittens*

Mr.Mittens: Mrow

Neo:

Neo: *Disappears from view*

~O~O~O~O~O~

Cinder: *Opens motel room door* Make yourself at home~.

Asher: *Drunkenly walks in* Not exactly a five-star hotel, but it’ll do. How do you wanna get started, darlin’?

Cinder: You… *Pulls up a chair* Just sit back… *Pushes Asher back into the chair* And enjoy yourself~ *Gets on her knees in front of the chair.*

Asher: *Slimy smile* I knew you were a dirty little slut the moment I laid eyes on you.

Cinder: *Trying to not burn him alive for calling her a slut, and undoes his belt and zipper* Well, what can I say? I felt like we really hit things off~

Jaune: *Sneaks up from behind and bashes Asher in the back of his head with his shield*

WHAM!

Asher: *Topples over in the chair, crashing to the ground unconscious and with his pants down around his ankles*

Jaune: Are you feeling proud of yourself for that pun?

Cinder: Very. *Stands up and kicks Asher to make sure he stays out* Got a smile out of you, didn't it? Admit it, you think I’m funny.

Jaune: *Chuckles* I'll admit, you have a twisted sense of humor. But let’s hurry and take some reference photos before we blow our chance.

Cinder: Of course, move him onto his back so I can… *Pauses than makes a coy smile* Jaune, did you just make a dirty pun?

Jaune: *Thinks then blushes* J-just take the pictures already!

~O~O~O~O~O~

Adam: *Standing in an alley with an empty duffle bag, watching out for any signs of trouble*

Neo: *Appears in flash of broken glass and takes a bow*

Adam: Took you long enough. You got it?

Neo: *Takes off her bowler cap, reaches in, and pulls out Asher’s Weapon*

Adam: *Grabs it and starts inspecting it* Assault Rifle. 30 round mag, .224 calibre, chainsaw bayonet. I can work this. Jaune and Cinder sent you the reference photos yet?

Neo: *Nods, pulls out her scroll, and starts looking through images as she starts conjuring illusions onto Adam. She signifies she’s done when she gives a chefs kiss with her fingers*

Adam: How do I look?

Neo: *Conjures a mirror, showing Adam disguised as Asher Cross. Subtitles spawn under the mirror* You look like a huge asshole.

Adam: *Pulls back the slide on the weapon* Perfect. *Starts marching out the alley and across the street*

Neo: *Whistles for Adam’s attention*

Adam: What?!

Neo: *Smacks her right leg a few times and hobbles with a limp a few feet*

Adam: … Oh right! Bum leg. Got it. *Continues forward with a limp this time, bursting through the front doors of a store and fires his gun off* OPEN THE CASH REGISTER, NOW!!

~O~O~O~O~O~

Police: *Burst down the door to the motel room*

Asher: *Jolts awake, feeling incredibly concussed, laying next to several empty bottles of booze, his signature weapon out of ammo, and a duffle bag full of stolen money* W-Wha-

Police: LOOK OUT HE’S GOT A WEAPON! *Fires taser*

Asher: BZZZZZZTTTT!!!

~O~O~O~O~O~

Jaune/Cinder/Adam/Neo: *Standing around on a rooftop across the street from the motel, watching Asher get put in the back of an armored police truck fully restrained and muzzled*

Cinder: *Hangs up her Scroll* That was the client. He’s relayed his satisfaction with our work and has sent us the money in full. Your plan worked out pretty well, Jaune.

Neo: *Rubs her hands together as dollar signs rain around her*

Jaune: I’m just glad we did it with almost no one else getting hurt! As in almost because Adam decided to clock the store’s owner with a rifle, which I do not approve of.

Adam: *Scoffs* As if I live and breathe for your approval, Huntsman. That old man happened to have a “No Faunus” sign on their place of business and I just wanted to make sure Asher got his time in prison with an extra “Assault with a deadly weapon” charge.

Jaune: Oh. Well, in that case then no one that didn’t deserve it got hurt! Good job team!

#jaune arc #cinder fall #adam taurus #neo politan #rwby #renegade au

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peachymilkandcream · 6 months

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Please a scenario where Evelyn accidentally walks in at the wrong time when Levi and Petra were having a meeting. She THINKS they were doing something but it was a misunderstanding and just one sided advances from Petra as usual. What's Levi going to do?

Levi x Evelyn -> Try And Take Him

(A/N: My new obsession is viciously screwing over Petra because I never liked her. The amount I would adore more Petra requests is unbelievable. If someone wants I might do a part two of this where Evelyn gets her revenge on Petra)

WARNINGS: noncon, dubcon, manipulation, domestic abuse, yandere themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, violence, mind breaking, misogyny, etc.

============================================

Petra annoying the shit out of him had become a part of Levi's daily work life. Her flirting had never been cause enough means to kick her out of the Scouts, but what he wouldn't give to do so regardless. In truth, part of him didn't have the energy to thoroughly tell her off and then sign all the paperwork. With his wife possibly leaving for who knew how long, his nights had been spent recently stuffing her full of cum so she'd remember who she belonged to and come back as soon as possible.

However as Petra now leaned over him, suggestively pressing her breasts into his shoulder was he getting annoyed. Every time he had told her to back up she just inched her way closer and closer, the woman was insufferable.

"Seriously Petra, I need some space."

Petra pouted and reluctantly backed up, but sure enough, slowly she inched closer. As she rushed over to point out something he clearly couldn't see with his fucking eyeballs, she "accidentally" caught her foot on the corner of the desk and fell onto him, pushing her breasts directly in his face.

Due to his unfortunate luck, before he could push Petra off the door swung open, revealing his wife frozen with shock and horror at the scene she had stumbled upon.

"Shit-" Was all he could mutter before throwing Petra off of him and walking the few short feet to Evelyn.

"Listen Evie it's not what it looks like-" He could see her already getting upset so he tried his best for damage control. "If you calm down, I can explain everything."

Also unfortunately for him, with his back turned to Petra he couldn't see the smug grin she gave Evelyn, taunting her for what she thought she saw.

Evelyn clenched her jaw and stared Levi down. "No you listen Levi. I have taken your bullshit time and time again, and have tried my best to be your shitty perfect wife you're so obsessed with. The only thing I demand in return is for you to keep it in your fucking pants!" She turns on her heel and walks out, leaving Levi slightly stunned.

Petra keeps her smirk, while what she wanted was Levi to use her advance to take her, she could have never expected it to play out so perfectly. If Evelyn suspected Levi of being unfaithful she'd file for divorce, and then Levi would be right there for the taking. She crept up to him and placed her hand on his bicep.

"Are you okay?"

Levi quickly jerks his arm and shrugs her off. "Get the hell off of me! Do you see what you caused!?" He grabs his coat and runs after her. "Evelyn!? Evelyn!"

Petra stands there frozen, unable to believe that Levi had spoken to her that way, he'd never done that before. That witch was getting to him, changing him as a person, she had to stop her before it was too late.

=============================================

It was pouring rain by the time Levi caught up to Evelyn on her walk home. She was drenched and holding herself to stop from shivering. Levi's coat was getting wet but it was a little more waterproof than the cotton dress she was wearing, he slid it off and started to wrap it around her shoulders.

"Here, you'll freeze to death."

She pushes him off. "Get away from me Levi-"

"Don't be stubborn, put the damn coat on so you won't die before we can get home and talk about it."

"Talk about what? How you're fucking Petra over your desk?"

Something about her accusation boils his blood, he grabs her by the shoulders and stops her. "Listen to me you miserable and obstinate woman. I didn't have sex with her, I never would have sex with her. Petra annoys the hell out of me on the daily, what you saw is when she shoved her cutting board in my face without my approval. Now maybe if you stopped for two seconds and used your common sense because I know you have some intelligence in you you would've seen that."

Evelyn goes silent a moment, as if judging him. "And why should I believe a word of what you say."

He grabs her jaw and makes her stare him in the eyes. "Because I would die without you. You are the single thing I need in my life, without you I'm nothing. Why would I throw that away for some cheap whore that will give me some disease!? I love you more than the breath in my lungs. I would never sell you so short. Do you understand?"

Evelyn's lip quivers and then fat tears roll down her cheeks as she nods. Levi's angry expression melts just a bit and he brings her into his arms.

"It's alright. If I was in your position I would've done the same thing. I just need you to trust me."

Another nod as she holds him tight to her. "I do. I really do."

He kisses her forehead. "I love you."

He didn't expect a response but he could've sworn he almost hear her mutter it back.

#attack on titan #break me slowly #levi ackerman #levi aot #levi x reader #levi x oc #shingeki no kyojin #yandere levi #yandere levi ackerman #yandere levi x reader #oneshot requests

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jemgirl86 · 1 year

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did you see the article about Letitia Wright ?

Hi, anon. The one from THR? Yeah, just a second ago actually. I didn’t read it in depth, but I have some thoughts off the headline and image they used alone.

Whew okay so, to keep it a buck, I almost didn’t respond to this because people already say I complain about everything, and I can’t even give my opinion about a ship, let alone anything actually important without having some nut in my asks or on my posts harassing me. This place is where nuance goes to die, apparently. But, you know what, I’m gonna ramble about this for a minute anyway lol:

Let me say I don’t like “what aboutisms” as a general rule. I don’t. I feel like humans have enough energy to have more than one opinion at a time and just because we’re talking about this, doesn’t mean we’re not upset about that too. But but what about Ms. Bad Wig??? She’s about to star in the next big Marvel movie and she’s a whole ass nut. Every damn day, everywhere I go online, I hear something negative about Letitia, shouldn’t I be hearing about Ms Anti-Vax Rally all the time too? Why don’t I have to see Evangeline Lilly get dragged through the mud on a daily basis like Letitia?

Okay, let’s forget about Wig for a second. Yes, Letitia tweeted an asinine and offensive video a couple of years ago, and I believe she should have been called out on it and taken to task, and she was. Repeatedly. She is still being called out on it. But why are people saying that she tried to spread anti-vax rhetoric on the BP2 set when there is no evidence of that? In fact, Bassett and Duke said they didn’t see her doing that at all and they’re her costars.

And, even if she is an anti-vax nut, why is THR lumping her in with abusers and chomos? That is insane. Hell, while we’re at it, why is Will Smith being lumped in with abusers? Will was defending his wife, Pitt was (allegedly) abusing his wife, so why on earth are they being mentioned in the same breath? And Polanski and Allen? They’re literally the scum of the earth and it is beyond ridiculous that either Wright or Smith would be featured in the article alongside them.

See, this is what happens when people start acting like all “crimes” are created equal. Newsflash: they are not.

Look, if she’s truly an anti-vax nut or a transphobe, then honestly I don’t have much use for her. But I can’t help but feel like something is rotten in Denmark when it comes to this whole smear campaign against her.

Also, since when did the Oscars care about any of this? They have awarded and/or applauded some of the worst people on earth, so who are we kidding. I mean, what was even the point of an article like this one? At one point, the author writes:

“Obviously, not all accusations are equally serious or solid — but is history a guide for what may happen for Smith, Pitt and Wright?”

Okay, so if if not all accusations are as equally serious or solid, then maybe you should have focused on the serious ones. Maybe the author should’ve said to himself: “hmm writing a paragraph on Smith and a paragraph on Wright, then bringing up Polanski and Allen would look dumb as hell.” Idk man… the fact that the author knew these instances aren’t equal, and still chose to write the article the way he did, seem sooo calculating and nasty.

Note: If someone has some receipts showing that she has said transphobic things or has been spreading anti-vax rhetoric, please let me know. Seriously. I don’t condone or support that shit. But, like I said, this attack against her does seem like just that, an attack. It’s coming off very suspect, and I don’t like it. And, I’m just gonna say it again, even if she is anti-vax, which is awful, putting her in the same category as a chomo is still insane.

#please don’t reblog #i don’t need any crazies in my asks today lol

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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 2 years

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It has been two years since Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Russian government using Novichok. This is a banned chemical weapon that Russian authorities had previously claimed not to possess. As Navalny says in his latest letter from prison, nobody within the Russian state has taken responsibility for this attempted assassination.

Instead, Russia and the rest of the world have been treated to a cocktail of feeble and insulting lies by Putin and his mafia government. Russian propaganda news media have vomited out ludicrous alternative explanations, alongside their usual distract and divide strategies.

Since Navalny bravely returned to Russia in January 2021, he was promptly arrested by Russian police on fraudulent charges. After an equally fraudulent court hearing, he was sentenced to more than three years in prison. This year, he has been sentenced to a further nine years in prison and has been moved to an even more stringent penal colony.

We are understandably focused on the war in Ukraine and the atrocities which Russian soldiers have committed there.

The more this war continues, however, the more I begin to suspect that Putin began this to cover up major political abuses such as imprisoning Navalny for longer. The imprisonment of Navalny on yet more fictional charges was done while the world was focused on an impending invasion of Ukraine.

It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that during the war, Putin was said to be undergoing serious cancer surgery, a report circulated among intelligence services and outlets such as NavalnyLive for months.

After Putin is brought to justice for his crimes against humanity in Ukraine, the West must not forget his other crimes, which have been unpunished for over twenty years. Putin has entire government departments dedicated to spying, persecution, and murder of Russian citizens who oppose his dictatorship.

These departments do not just operate in Russia, but also target Russians living abroad. We recently discovered that Putin had sent a group of neo-Nazi mercenaries to try and capture and murder the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin’s regime is not just a moral disgrace to Russia, but a national security threat to all Europeans-- we see proof of this daily in Ukraine.

Alexei Navalny is not the first to be poisoned, and it seems as though he has not been the last. Since the Ukraine invasion, oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Anatoly Chubais have both fallen ill mysteriously. Abramovich and Chubais both deviated from the Kremlin’s line as far as the war in Ukraine was concerned, with Abramovich wanting to broker peace, and Chubais leaving Russia in protest against Putin’s invasion.

Investigators like Christo Grozev from Bellingcat, which uncovered the plots to murder Navalny and other Russian dissidents, believe that Abramovich was poisoned. What induced Chubais’ illness is not yet clear.

Before Navalny, many Russians critical of Putin’s regime either survived poisoning or died because of it. Famous cases include those of Dmitri Bykov, Vladimir Kara-Murza (currently in prison for condemning the war in Ukraine), Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal, Anna Politkovskaya, Yuri Shchekochikhin, and more. This list does not include Russians who were assassinated by gunfire, defenestration, kidnapping, assault, and ‘unexplained’ heart problems.

Navalny himself may have been poisoned during a previous stint in prison back in 2017, and is wife, Yulia Navalnaya, also mysteriously fell ill back in 2020. We now know that FSB agents had been following the couple and the poisoning of Yulia Navalnaya may have been the consequence of a previous attempt to kill her husband.

The international community must keep asking Putin questions about the events of 20 August, 2020 and demand an impartial investigation into the use of Novichok on Russian soil for the purpose of murdering Russian citizens. If the Russian authorities do not accept these requests, then Russia should no longer be a member of the OPCW. This is surely not a controversial request today, given Russian provocations near Ukrainian nuclear plants.

And, of course, freedom for Alexei Navalny and all political prisoners.

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youkaiyume · 3 years

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Jesus my neighbor is such a dick. Its like almost noon and I was fxing/installing a shelf (not even IN the wall??) And of course there's some hammering and like while I'm doing that he starts pounding the walls like it was a competition? Like, I'm not even doing it at night when everyone is asleep and it lasted like 30 seconds JESUS steve when would you like me to do things and have a life, what a douche. And it’s not like I go around doing home renovations all the time this is literally the first time in like 2 years. I don't talk to YOU when you fucking smoke weed every night and I can smell it through the vents or whenever you berate and possibly beat your wife in the wee hours of the morning while I AM STILL ASLEEP or when i hear random banging around the entire house below me when you're doing god knows what. Anyway I hope he chokes :)

#Should I be fucking quiet as a mouse all the time #im always a mindful neighbor liek what an absolute dick #he plays nice when he sees me in person but in his own house his temper is legit worrying #i suspect he abuses his wife daily #text post #personal #i fucking hope he chokes and keels over #he's an awful human being

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writefasttalkevenfaster · 3 years

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Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Part Two)

Series: Undercover Hotch fic/series™

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Word Count: 4,408 | Rated: T | Warnings: swearing, discussion of domestic abuse, possibly compromising positions(?), an almost kiss

Tropes: bedsharing, fake married, mutual pining

Chapter Summary: after holding hotch's hand for a few minutes, it wouldn't be a problem to hold it for most of the morning? because now the retreat gimmicks begin as the two of you search for information while dealing with the events.

A/N: sorry for the delay on part two -- had some family things going on this month <3. look out for part three :) Thank you to @bucky-of-the-opera for always letting me bounce ideas off of her and generally being amazing.

“Where do we start?”

The retreat lodge was larger than you imagined — with sprawling grounds that weren't just limited to the main lodging area where the couples stayed — but extended beyond to woods, hiking trails, and beyond. Hell, you glanced out the window at a nearby mountain, you wouldn’t be surprised if they owned a mountain as well.

“I have no idea,” you murmur, your arm intertwined with Hotch’s, as the two of you stepped into the lobby for the patented mix-and-mingle with the other couples before breakfast. Not only mind-numbing, soul-churning mingling — but with other couples with marital issues -- exactly what every vacation needs, “this place doesn’t seem big on technology — I haven’t seen a single computer or cellphone,”

“The front desk only has paper logs,” he shakes his head, “I asked about the lack of technology in the rooms. A noted policy of no tech — including the employees. I don’t think we are even allowed our cellphones after this breakfast.”

You scan the couples beginning to shuffle down now, “If there’s no tech here, where do you think they keep their guest and employee files?”

“I don’t think breakfast is ready yet, sweetheart,” he replies, as your gaze snaps to his cheeks burning, as you realize a couple approaching your six, “but I’m sure you won’t have to wait too much longer,”

“I’m right there with you,” the husband winks at you, his stomach shaking as he laughs even before he jokes, “if I don’t eat soon, I’m going to lose one of my only reasons for coming to this place,”

And something tells you it isn’t much of a joke either.

“But not the reason for coming here, isn’t that right, dear?” his wife assumedly smiles at you, icily, “Molly Chapman. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and you are?”

You introduce yourself, forcing a straight face on as you manage to say your alias, offering your hand, “This is my husband, Thomas,” as Hotch introduces himself to Molly’s husband, Harry, who claps your boss on the shoulder.

“So,” Harry leans in, almost clandestinely, “what are you two in for?”

“Harry!” Molly chastises him, but her eyes hook onto your expressions, her lips pursed in disapproval if only to hide her smile.

“Well, if it helps, me and the missus here need some help communicating,” he crosses his arms, shaking his head, “never learned much about that growing up,” and he elbows Hotch, “but I’m sure you can relate — we’re practically in the same generation,” And you nearly snort, trying and failing to hide your smile — which Hotch notes, as you see him shoot a small glare your way.

Harry and Molly don’t notice, too busy reprimanding her husband again, before she sighs, pinching at the bridge of her nose, “It’s just as well, we are all going to find out about each other’s problems anyway,”

And you furrow your brow, “I saw group therapy on the itinerary — is it mandatory?”

“It is,” Molly nods, “Dr. Rosen, the therapist who helped design the program, insisted on it — otherwise it would just be a vacation, not a couples retreat,” and she raises an eyebrow, “didn’t you read that in the paperwork when you signed up?”

“I did most of the paperwork,” Hotch intercedes, his fingers intertwining with yours, “my love here was busy wrapping up some loose ends for work so I ended up taking the lead on it,”

“Oh well now I know what’s wrong with you two,” Harry chuckles, as Molly elbows him again, half-heartedly, as he gestures to you, coffee in hand, “you wear the pants in the relationship, got that one wrapped around your finger, now don’t you? Not surprising, with the age gap and all--” as he looks you up and down, winking at Hotch, as you gape at him, “nicely done, sir.”

Your blood begins to boil, several insults picked out and fine-tuned on your tongue as you open your mouth, “Well—”

“We’re working on it,” Hotch clears his throat, jerking his head toward the now ready breakfast buffet, “Harry, it looks like—”

“Food’s on!” and he’s scurrying away to the table, as his wife follows suit, giving both of you a nod, as you glare at his retreating back.

“Food fucking saved his life,” and your eyes slide back to Hotch, as he gestures for you to head over to the breakfast table, “and so did you,”

“Well, I figured you murdering someone on our first day here would attract some unwelcome attention,” he steers you away from the direction of the Chapmans, his hand now slipping around your waist, and you do your best to ignore the flip of your heart, focusing on the fancy finger foods the retreat put out for breakfast, until you feel Hotch’s fingers drum on the small of your back, “do you see that?”

You glance at him, following his gaze until your eyes fall on a door that says ‘Employees’ Only’ around the corner, the manager slipping through the door, locking it behind him. You glance away nonchalantly, helping yourself to some mini-breakfast sandwiches and some fruit, “Do you think they keep the employee files?”

“Maybe,” he breathes in your ear, as he reaches over your shoulder to grab some food, making you shiver at the closeness, “but how do we—”

“Welcome!” a voice booms from the foyer, sweeping arms as he steps forward cutting through the dining room, “Please everyone take a seat. Help yourself to some breakfast.”

You both make your way to a table, and Hotch pulls out your chair for you, giving a small smile, as he takes his seat beside you.

“I hope you all are beginning to get to know each other, but that is not all you will be getting to know today,” he clasps his hands, he bared his teeth with his fake white smile, “I am Richard Rosen, and I will be guiding you through your time during this six-week retreat, where you are not only going to learn about our facilities, about mindfulness, and about yourselves,” his eyes scan the crowd smiling, “you’re going to learn about each other.'

Oh, how wonderful.

You had read up about this guy last night — went to Harvard — Harvard College in Indiana, and got his certification in Psychology after four weeks of surely intense training. After that, he opened his own practice in New York City, which folded after several complaints ranging from sexual harassment to fraud. Unfortunately for his clients (and fortunately for him), there wasn’t enough evidence to get his lack-luster certification yanked. He then moved from city to city, learning from his mistakes, and never stuck to the same city for long enough for someone to catch onto his treatment packaged charade. Until eventually, he settled upon White Mountains Retreat, where he was allowed to stay in one place, but with a revolving door of patients.

He was one of your suspects — no record, but had easy access to the couples, and intimate knowledge of their relationships.

"But our time will begin together tomorrow,” he beams at all of you, “Right now, I'm going to pass it over to the man who you will be coordinating your incredibly list of daily activities during your stay here — the man responsible for all the wonderful memories you will make — Mr. Brock Hillen," Rosen steps aside, welcoming Hillen to take over, and he doesn’t wait a beat, checking his watch before disappearing down a hall.

“Where’d he go?” you murmur, and Hotch shakes his head.

“I don’t know,” Hotch murmurs, lips barely moving, “but do you see that?”

And you spot cuts on Brock’s arms before he tugs the sleeve of his shirt down to cover it, “Could be consistent with causing those injuries our victims,”

And Brock Hillen was no less suspicious than Rosen — with a criminal record to match. With two charges of domestic assault, Hillen already had a history of violence with his ex-wife, but since she divorced him, he has had no other charges. Yet, because of his record, he went job to job, until he found himself as the Activities Coordinator of White Mountain. Could it be that his rage over his wife leaving him led to the murders? Maybe something in the last few weeks that triggered it.

“Hello all!” he greets, holding his arms out, his fake blonde hair nearly blinding under the bright light of the chandelier that hangs above him, “thank you Richard, for that all too kind introduction,” he begins his spheal on the healing nature of the resort, the efforts of his team in coordinating the next six weeks for them, and you begin to lose interest around his third sentence with the word “enchant” in it.

And your eyes can’t help but slide to Hotch a moment, whose arm rests on your lower back still, the metal of his watch gently pressed against your shirt, and you swear his thumb brushes against your spine. You almost want to brush it away, his touch is so gentle, so sweet, so intentional, but it wasn’t — it wasn’t.

“For our first event,” and now you’re blinking back to Brock — to the reason you were here — to catch a killer, “I’m going to have you do one of the very things that Richard mentioned — an activity that will allow you to you learn more about yourselves and each other,” and he gestures around you, “as well as the grounds themselves,” Other employees start handing the couples a clipboard, “your task will be to get each of your stamps from around the retreat — this obviously includes our grounds and other facilities, including our spa, chapel, gardens, and so on.”

“Seems like a perfect opportunity to look around,” you murmur — as Hotch takes the clipboard, flipping through the scavenger hunt -- at least there wasn’t some cheesy shtick to this activity.

“To symbolize the journey you all will be embarking on together as couples, you must complete the task hand-in-hand,” Brock brings his two hands together, “please, there will be staff all over the facilities, if you need a hint, feel free to ask, and I will be here as well to provide any assistance,” he gestures to employees behind the couples, “now, at the sound of the gong—”

At the sound of the what—

And then a loud crash fills the air, rattling your eardrums, making you jump, “Take each other’s hand, and begin!”

Couples begin scattering about, pulling each other along — you spot Molly dragging Harry away from the breakfast table.

And Hotch rises beside you, offering you his hand, clipboard in his other hand, “Ready?”

You glance from him to his hand.

Probably not, but— your fingers intertwine with his, his calloused fingers warm, and the cool metal of his band brushing against your skin—

“Ready.”

What other choice did you have?

~~~

“How many more do we have?” So far, the first few stamps have taken you all around the other facilities — the spa, the garden, the sauna — but none inside the retreat center itself. Not a single one had given you a change to find where the files were kept in this place.

“Two more left,” he murmurs, “I assume the last one will take us back into the main building, so the other must be—”

“At the chapel,” you glance at the map of the place you were handed by an employee who took pity on you two after you had wandered around the grounds — completely lost, “at least we don’t have to bother figuring out the riddles now,”

“You mean you don’t need to bother,” you shake your head, “i’m sorry, I’m just—”

“Are you okay?” he asks, as the two of you stroll towards the chapel, everyone else out of earshot, “the first day can be—”

“No, it’s not that,” you look around the grounds, and you resist the urge to flex your fingers, but he notices you tense — and you know he would drop your hand but he can’t, so he steps away a little, “It’s not you—”

“But it’s you?” he chuckles, as you bite your lip, “I know it’s a lot,” he sighs, as you two reach the chapel, a relatively small building built on top of a hill. It’s a white marble building, its one spire splitting the sky above it asunder, practically gleaming in the sunlight. The double mahogany doors are drawn open for the couples, another just leaving as you two arrive. You watch him stare up at the chapel, “it is for me too.”

You frown, as the employees at the entrance greet you, and direct you to sit near the front together for a few minutes — to take solace in the quiet before you receive your stamp. Hotch hands them the clipboard as you both wander down the aisle together.

The aisles are lined with white pews, light streaming through beautiful stained glass windows. Your footsteps echoed against the stone floor. You step and sit into the pew beside Hotch, sitting back a moment. The chapel itself had no denomination — it was clear it was made for the sake of religious and non-religious functions — likely an intentional choice not to exclude any religion or atheists for that matter.

After all, money was money in their eyes.

You two are quiet a moment, your hands still interlaced for the sake of the employees still watching the two of you, “I think for me,” your voice low, “it’s just weird to be this close with anyone,”

“You mean physically or?” you shrug.

“It’s part of it — it has been a while since I’ve shared a bed with someone,” you purse your lips, “but like you said, it’s hard for me to let someone see me, like all of me,” and you glance at him, “and it’s hard when you’re literally the leader of a team of, you know.”

“I know,” he leans against the back of the pew, “it’s impossible to hide things from the team even when when we don’t spend every minute with them, and now that we’re spending the all of the next six weeks together--”

“There won’t be much we can do to hide,” you nod, looking down at the floor.

And that was what scared you the most.

The employees hand you back the clipboard at that moment, excusing you both back, and the two of you step out of the chapel, “I just want you to know,” you say, as the two of you reach the bottom of the hill, “you don’t have to hide anything from me,” and he raises an eyebrow, as you add, “if you don’t want to.”

“Do most people hide anything because they really want to?”

“No I meant,” you chew your lip, “This is probably hard for you, and I don’t want to act like I know what you’re going through — I don’t,” you would never deign to think you knew what it was like to lose your the love of your life, your best friend, and mother of your child in one fell swoop, “but you don’t have to pretend,” not with me, you want to add, but you don’t — you can’t.

He blinks a moment, eyebrows raising only for a millisecond, before he sighs, “It’s easier to pretend,” he presses his lips together, as another couple approaches, “and that’s what we’re here to do,” and he begins to walk forward, gently pulling you along, as your cheeks burn, your head fixed on the ground, until he adds, “but I appreciate it,” and you meet his gaze, several emotions in his eyes, before he tears it away, “thank you.”

You don’t get to respond, as the two of you step inside to find only most of the couples still hadn’t returned yet — still collecting the last of the stamps, and most of the staff floating around the grounds to corral and nudge stragglers along. And their absence left an opportunity.

So you glance around, before tugging a distracted Hotch along, wandering around a corner, “What—”

And you grab him by the shoulder, pinning him to the wall, cheeks burning all the while, not daring to meet his gaze, but its just the same because you hear the small gasp of your name that leaves his lips in a whisper, and his body tenses against your palm.

You lean up closer, before slowly craning your neck around the corner, “We’re a couple at a retreat looking to sneak away,” you murmur, lips barely moving, as you lean closer, nose brushing his neck — god he smells good — but you refuse to let your lips brush against his skin, “or that’s what it will look like to anyone.”

His tenseness melts away, and he’s pliable to your touch, as your fingers graze his neck now, your thumb resting against his cheek, as he stares down at you — so adoringly as you tug him by the shirt away from the wall, following you with such ease.

You’re next to the employees only door — your fingers reach for the knob, turning — “It’s locked,” you murmur, and his brow furrows, as you cup his cheek, guiding his gaze to the lock.

And he’s spinning you around gently so that you’re pressed to the wall, your breath catching in your throat, as he looms over you, his fingers cupping your chin. His arm around your back, pulling your lower half close to him, but he’s holding the door knob in place while he tries to pick it with his other hand.

Your cheeks burn as he looks down on you, his gaze freezing you in place, far too close — his breath warming your lips, taking the breath from your lungs and replacing your blood with lava. And you can see so clearly — the cut of his jaw, the soft lines of his face, and the curve of his lips—

And then the lock clicks open.

He’s turning the knob, as you spare one glance over your shoulder to see if anyone sees either of you, but then the door is shutting behind you. You feel the wall for a light switch, and you flick it on, while you hear the click of the door locking again.

And you blink, a glorified break room — a few tables and a basic refrigerator stuck in the corner, a worn couch stuck against a wall, and a sink stuck in the corner with a subpar dish rack — far from the accolades that were in each guest’s room — but then again, the employees weren’t paying through the nose for the rooms.

You two stay close, as your eyes scan for anything that could be a camera — even one that isn’t obvious — placed in a smoke detector or lamp shade, “No cameras,” he pulls away, and you try to swallow the lump in your throat, tucking away the embarrassment to dwell on another time (likely right before when you’re trying to sleep).

But then again, the guests weren’t the ones working 18 hour shifts on their feet.

Hotch calls for you, pointing towards a few file drawers stuck in the corner, and the two of you head over, running your finger down the label on the drawers, “These are all client records — administrative, financial — nothing on the employees.”

“They must keep the employee records somewhere else that employees don’t have access to,” and you’re rifling through the folders, for something — anything.

“I haven’t seen any other employee areas,” you shut the drawers, and then you glance around, your eyes falling on another door in the corner of the room — “unless—”

“It must be Rosen and Hillen’s offices,” you walk over, reading the placard — Administration Offices, “locked?”

“This isn’t something that can be picked easily,” Hotch shakes his head, “it has a bump guard — it prevents—”

“--lock bumping,” and Hotch looks over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow, “I’ll tell you my reason if you you tell me yours,

He snorts, “I learned it sometime between 6th grade and military school,” and it’s your turn to raise your eyebrows, “my father — he—”

“You don’t have to—” you shake your head, “unless you want to—”

“I’ll just say, it wasn’t a good childhood,” he raises to his feet.

And you can’t help but give a small smile, “But look at how well you turned out,” and he’s shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, “Hotch,” you make him meet your gaze, “you’re a good man — don’t doubt that.”

His eyes meet yours again, warm, as he looks away to the floor for a moment, the corners of his lips twitching, “Thank you,” he breathes, and he’s stepping forward, “I—”

And then the doorknob is jiggling. Your heads snap to the door, before looking back to each other.

Shit.

Before you know it, his wrist is around yours, and he’s tugging you to the couch, as you fall backwards onto the soft cushions. He’s halfway kneeling between your legs, his body draped over you, and he’s leaning closer, murmuring an apology as he lips draw close to yours, “Hotch—”

And then the door is opening, as his lips nearly brush yours, “Hey!”

An employee stares at the both of you, as you both stumble to your feet, adjusting your clothes, “This is employees only — what are you—”

“Sorry!” you yelp, jumping to your feet, “so sorry,” and you brush past them, Hotch following at your heels.

And the two of you find your way back to the lobby, your heart still in your throat, as you tug on your clothes, “Thanks for the —” your cheeks burn, “I mean, good thinking—” you shake your head, "you know what I mean."

He snorts, his fingers finding yours again, giving them a slight squeeze, "Anytime," and your heart oh-so-helpfully skips a beat, tongue-tied, but luckily you don't have to response as Hotch glances at you, "you never did tell me how you learned about lock picking."

You shrug, “I have a checkered past,”

“That’s not much of an answer,” and you shoot him a half-smile.

“I have to keep you interested somehow don’t I?” you reply right as Brock begins to speak again.

The event wraps up with another talk from Brock — who has an employee approach him towards the end of his talk, whispering in his ear, and he nods, waving him off, “and one last thing — I know you all came to rejuvenate your marriages and partnerships through this retreat and we fully encourage you to do so but—” you swallow thickly, realizing just which employee must have whispered in his ear right then, “please refrain from doing so in restricted areas that are not for our guests.”

You cannot even bear to look at Hotch, keeping your gaze straight ahead, grabbing a drink on the tray, and sipping at it — and you wondered if you were masking your mortification well.

Probably fucking not.

~~~

Brock then adjourns them for the rest of the day — not wanting to “overwhelm them” on day one (or rather padding their time here with nothingness) — welcoming them to have their meal in the dining facilities or up in the rooms.

Most people head off to their rooms, while others linger in the lobby — chatting amongst themselves — he spots Harry rushing off to the dining facilities, his wife in tow.

The rest of the day goes off without much to-do. Hotch glances around — not a single thing of note learned about the guests or the staff. The other couples are all sociable to some extent — some more reserved than others, but none of them fit the unsub’s types so far — placing you two directly in the paths of the unsub.

By the time it’s time for bed, his body is aching for nothing but sleep — and it looked like you had the same idea. Already slipped under the covers, you’re curled up, half-asleep as your eyes flutter heavy with sleep.

Neither of you felt the need to stand guard in the room — the doors were securely locked for each of the couples, and the team was monitoring the situation at the local precinct. But you both kept your weapons close by — concealed in case someone happened to find their way in.

“Are you asleep?” Hotch whispers, and you mumble, shaking your head, turning to glance at him — your shoulders tense and brow furrowed.

“Is something going on?”

And he shakes his head, “No, sorry,” and you relax back in bed, but your lips still pursed, “I just hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable earlier,” and you tilt your head — and he almost smiles at your sleep-induced confusion.

“Earlier?” and then it floods back to you — as you blink, glancing away from him, “oh—”

He shakes his head, “I just don’t want you to think I was—”

“Hotch, I know you weren’t,” you slowly sit up, “if you hadn’t done that, I think we would have been on our way home on our first day,” you chuckle, “and I know you wouldn’t take advantage — especially when we have a job to do.”

Right, a job, he chides himself, It was a job.

“If you want to sleep—”

“I’m not having this conversation again,” you yawn, turning around and getting comfortable again, “good night, Hotch.”

And he looks at you, a small sigh parting his lips — until he finally settles in bed beside you.

His arm resting across his forehead, he glances at you again. He had spent so much of today holding your hand, his fingers nearly flexing at the memory. It had been so long since he had held someone’s hand, so long since he had worn a ring on his finger, so long since he called someone his partner.

It felt so nice.

Nice — not only because he hadn’t realized how much he had missed having someone, someone beside him, someone there — but because —

Because it was you.

And he knew that because — he didn’t want to let go of your hand.

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner imagines #criminal minds #criminal minds imagines #hotch imagines #hotch #aaron hotchner fanfiction #hotch fanfiction #fic: undercover

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ghostofskywalker · 3 years

Text

Fresh Kill - 3

Mob!Natasha Romanoff/Fem!Vigilante!Reader

Words: 1,689

Fic Summary: You were doing the world a service, actually, taking care of those who treated their partners with violence and anger. What you didn’t realize was that you had caught the attention of the city’s mob, and they want you to work for them.

Chapter Warnings: mentions of violence and murder, descriptions of domestic abuse

Series Masterlist

Natasha waited anxiously behind the counter, wondering if you were going to come in today. While weren’t a daily customer, she would usually see you once or twice a week, but so far you were a ghost. There was no way you could have known that she was following you. She wanted to know what was going on, who you really were. She highly doubted Vera was your real name, and she was shocked that you were able to sell the lie so well to her. With the job she had and the life she led, you would think she should be able to sniff out liars and frauds from miles away, but you slipped right under her nose.

She waited all day, and you never showed. She spent every moment behind the counter wondering who you really were, and that curiosity only grew after she closed up the shop for the evening. The mob had a contact in the police station, a man everyone around her referred to as Loki, but she didn’t know his real name. On the way home from work, she dropped by his precinct and asked if he wanted to grab a drink with her. “Are you the ones working the Hitchman murder?” she asked the moment they sat down. The bar she had chosen was empty and secluded, and they were sitting at a corner table, away from prying eyes and ears.

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Why, you want the case sewn up?”

“I don’t know yet,” she said. “What can you tell me about the victim?”

“Other than the standard stuff, he worked on the docks,” Loki said, taking a sip of his beer. “Married with two kids, churchgoing protestant, and his family swears he’s as decent as they come. But the hotel room they found him in? It’s being let out to him at a flat rate per month, it wasn’t just his for the night.”

“So he keep a hotel room for a monthly rate rather than just renting a different one every time he wants a dalliance? That’s a man who has a lot to hide.”

“It doesn’t sound like he’s home very often, that’s for sure.”

“Did you talk to his wife at all?” Natasha asked. “Did she know about the hotel room?”

“She said she didn’t, but she didn’t seem surprised,” Loki said. “She tried to play the part of the grieving widow, but didn’t sell it all that well in my opinion.”

“People deal with grief differently.”

“This was more than that,” Loki shook his head. “She looked almost happy when I gave her the news.”

That piqued Natasha’s interest. “You think she had him killed?”

“It’s a possibility, given the manner of execution. Whoever did this is a professional, that’s why when you came in here asking about the case I thought it was someone in the organization. Why are you so interested in this case anyway?”

Natasha didn’t know what to say - how could she explain her interest in the case without telling Loki about you, and what would he say about you if he knew? “From what I’ve seen and what you’ve told me, whoever did this is good. And maybe they’re someone we want on our side.”

Loki smiled. “Ah. Potential recruitment. If a suspect comes up, I’ll send them your way, and I’ll pressure the chief to close this case up. The trail’s already run cold, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Thanks,” she said, getting up from the table. “Put another drink on the tab for yourself, and I’ll be in touch.”

She heard Loki ask for another beer as she stepped back out into the night air. There was no doubt that you had killed John Hitchman, but now she wanted to know why. The fact that Loki said this was most likely done by a professional was not lost on her, and it only added another question to the list Natasha was compiling in her head.

***

The next time you came into the shop was two days later, and if Natasha didn’t already know what you had done, she never would have guessed it. You smiled brightly at her as you stepped inside, picking out what you wanted and making smalltalk about the weather, the news, and the price of stockings lately. Natasha was quiet as she wrapped the cuts you picked out, and she passed the packaged meat to you over the counter, laying the cut out obituary of John Hitchman over it. “Oh, I saw that,” you said. “Shame about him, isn’t it?”

You didn’t even break a sweat, and Natasha was impressed, but she was also tired of wondering who you really were. “Did you know him?”

You shook your head. “No, I didn’t.”

You took your purchase off the counter, but Natasha put her hand down on yours before you could pull away. She was done playing games. “Then why’d you kill him?”

Your expression changed in an instant, the smile dropping off your face. Your lips pursed in indignation, and Natasha was looking at the truth of your identity. The woman standing before her was someone she would have no trouble believing was a murderer, but she wasn’t afraid. Natasha’s leger wasn’t exactly squeaky clean from the years she put in as an enforcer for the Rogers family mob. “You really want to open that can of worms?”

Natasha crossed her arms. “You know who I work for, so you should know I’m not kidding around.”

“Fine,” you said. There was no one else in the shop, so Natasha raised her eyebrows and waited for the explanation. “You want to know why I killed him?” you said evenly. “Why don’t you ask his wife, who wears nothing but long sleeved blouses and pants to hide the bruises and burns on her body, even in the sweltering summer heat. The woman who packs his lunch for the docks every morning even though she knows he’s screwing someone else during his break, who hates going to church every Sunday, but also looks forward to it because she knows it’s the one place her husband wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her. Ask her, and then ask me again why I killed him.”

So that’s why you did what you did, she thought, keeping her face even. She knew about the cheating from from Loki had told her about the hotel room, but she didn’t know about the abuse. “So how do you fit into all of this?” she asked. “Where do you come in?”

“I am but a service available to these women,” you said. “The ones with nowhere else to turn, who live each day wondering if it’ll be their last because there wasn’t any more orange juice at the store. I’m doing this city a service, setting them free. And I know who you work for, you’d have to be an idiot not to, so I expect that there’s some part of this you’d understand.”

“How do you do it?” But she already knew how, because she had followed you that night at the bar.

“These men are all the same,” you said. “They’re all looking for a fling, a woman they can spend the night with but don’t have to take care of for the rest of their lives. Once we’re alone, we both show our true colors. Then, I get rid of them.”

“How?”

“I can’t let you in on all my secrets,” you said. “But I felt comfortable enough telling you what I did, because if you let one thing slip to the authorities, I will make your life hell. If I don’t kill you myself, I’ll let the authorities bust you for the laundry list of felonies you and the organization you work for have committed. And not the cops, because I know you have them under your thumb. When the FBI and the SSR come knocking, don’t come looking for me. I’ve lived this long by myself, and you better believe I’ve gotten good at what I do.”

Natasha got the sense you weren’t kidding, and she had never seen this fire in your eyes before. “Fine,” she said, holding her hand out to shake. “Then let’s make a deal.”

You did nothing but stare at her. “I work alone. No negotiations.”

“I’m not asking you to pledge allegiance to the mob,” she said. “But now we both have some pretty big leverage on each other, and I don’t know about you, but I have no interest in going to jail. Let’s call it a passive alliance.”

Your gaze softened slightly, but your glare was still cold. “What are the terms of this ‘passive alliance’ then?”

“We keep each others’ secrets,” she said. “I can call in favors from you, you can call in favors from me. Your identity remains secret, and I get to contact you whenever I need help. If it’s a contracted kill, you get a cut of the profit.”

“If it’s a contracted kill and I kill them, then I get all of the profits,” you challenged. “I’m not going to share the wealth with someone who did jack shit to get the prize. I don’t work for cheap, and I don’t like to be strung along.”

“Most of the profits then,” Natasha conceded. “I’m the one who’s doing all the scheduling, the mob needs to take a cut of it.”

You were about to respond, but as soon as you opened your mouth a man walked into the store. In mere moments, your face changed. The face of the bubbly receptionist Natasha used to know replaced the cold visage of a seasoned killer, and you grabbed the package of veal Natasha had wrapped for you. “I’ll let you know in a day or two,” you giggled as you walked out the door.

To the man who had just stepped into the shop looking for a cut of lamb, you and Natasha were two friends planning to meet up for dinner one night, but in reality, those words carried a lot more weight.

- end of part three -

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff x y/n #natasha romanoff imagine #black widow x reader #black widow x y/n #black widow x you #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff fanfic #mob!natasha romanoff #marvel #marvel x reader #wlw x reader #fresh kill fic

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coochiequeens · 2 years

Text

Once you get past the gender cult pandering at the beginning this is an important read.

A couple of things unrelated to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine recently caught my eye, reminding me that while this conflict will eventually end, the violence visited upon women by loved ones is a war that endures.

I say “women” knowing full well that men and people with different gender identities are victims of domestic violence too. I’m using “women” as a shorthand, much the same way “men” has long stood for all of us, because women by far and away are victimized more often than men in intimate-partner relationships.

This is why the landmark legislation Joe Biden sponsored in 1994 when he was a senator and reauthorized last week as president is called the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA.

The law lapsed under President Trump, who was hardly a champion of women’s rights. The new version expands protections for survivors of partner violence and sexual assault.

It will also fund rape treatment centers, training for law enforcement and offer new federal protections to Native American women who are assaulted by non-Native perpetrators. This is one of the law’s most important achievements; in the past, if a non-Native person assaulted a Native person on tribal lands, the suspect would be referred to federal prosecutors, who frequently declined to prosecute, according to the Justice Department. Now such cases will be handled by tribal authorities.

The law had bipartisan support but, sadly, because of pushback from Republican gun worshipers, Congress was unable to use VAWA to close the “boyfriend loophole” in federal law. The loophole allows non-married partners to possess firearms even if they have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence. Currently, you must be married, living together or have a child in common for the firearms ban to apply.

This is lunacy, given that so many intimate-partner killings are committed by dating partners. In one analysis, 80% of domestic violence calls to Philadelphia police in 2013 involved non-married partners.

“A growing portion of the population is not protected by federal policies designed to keep guns out of the hands of abusers,” according to two University of Pennsylvania researchers who analyzed data in 2018. “Current boyfriends and girlfriends are a risk to their intimates.”

So, those “couple of things” I mentioned above? They are reminders that while media interest in domestic violence waxes and wanes, it is an abiding problem. Whatever else is happening on the world stage at any moment, we can be sure that, behind closed doors, intimate partners are being bullied, harassed and attacked. Things only got worse during the pandemic, when families were locked up together for so many months.

On Tuesday, Trevor Noah of “The Daily Show” let up on the comedy for a moment to broadcast his fears about the way Kanye West has been treating his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and her current beau, Pete Davidson. What Noah did was extremely unusual, and praiseworthy.

West has engaged in an escalating war of words against Kardashian, and has been particularly nasty about “Saturday Night Live” star Davidson, releasing a video showing a Claymation version of Davidson being kidnapped, buried and decapitated.

You could chalk this behavior up to just another attention-grabbing celebrity train wreck, but Noah saw something darker.

“What we’re seeing,” said Noah, whose mother survived after being shot in the head by his stepfather in 2009, “is one of the most powerful, one of the richest women in the world, unable to get her ex to stop texting her, to stop chasing after her, to stop harassing her,” he said. “Just think about that for a moment. Think about how powerful Kim Kardashian is, and she can’t get that to happen.”

The next day, after West responded to Noah with a racial slur, Noah posted a long, compassionate message on West’s Instagram account: “I’ve woken up too many times and read headlines about men who’ve killed their exes, their kids and then, themselves,” wrote Noah. “I never want to read that headline about you.”

Two weeks before Noah’s plea to West, the New York Times Magazine published a devastating story about the overlooked brain damaged suffered by women whose partners hit them. Researchers speculate that the damage, which occurs in private and is often untreated, can be worse than what football players experience. It amounts to a kind of slow murder.

“Even slight blows to the head, when repeated often enough, could result in long-term neurodegenerative disease,” wrote journalist Christa Hillstrom, who spent two years researching the piece, and led it with an account of a woman whose boyfriend hit her in the head so much that her hearing and memory were impaired. Her face was scarred and her scalp had a bald patch, and she suffered migraines, blurred vision and confusion.

Hillstrom interviewed Eve Valera, a Harvard associate professor of psychiatry who studies traumatic brain injuries among survivors of domestic violence. “Every year,” Hillstrom writes, “hundreds of concussions occur in the N.F.L.; thousands occur in the military. Valera’s estimated number of annual brain injuries among survivors of domestic abuse: 1.6 million.”

Like war itself, that notion is almost too distressing to contemplate. But we do know that, like war, intimate-partner violence can be inflicted anywhere, on anyone.

#Biden #Violence Against Women Act #VAWA #The boyfriend loophole

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16woodsequ · 3 years

Note

Weekly headcannon ask!

Do you have any headcannons or opinions on Steve and his dads relationship?

Hi! Sorry this took a bit, but here we are!

I do have some headcanons about Steve’s dad, and because I’m me, a lot of them are pretty angsty, so be warned!

TW: discussion of child abuse, ableism, and alcoholism

So first off, we have to talk about whether or not Steve’s dad is even alive. I’ve discussed this a little in a previous headcanons post, but Steve’s dad is technically dead in the mcu. Steve says he died of mustard gas. In the comics of course, Steve’s dad makes it home from the war, and is generally a terrible person.

I usually headcanon that Steve lied about when exactly his dad died. If Steve’s’ dad made it back from the war, then I headcanon he was a gas casualty at some point, and had lung issues afterwards. If he then died from something like influenza, then Steve could technically claim he died from mustard gas, without it being 100% a lie.

I headcanon that Steve does this, because I headcanon that Joseph Rogers (if he survives the war) is abusive. I imagine Sarah Rogers told Steve that he came back from the war a different person, and I can see Steve thinking to himself that the mustard gas killed his dad, just slower.

So anyways, that is an easy way to work around Steve’s claim that his dad died from mustard gas. If Joseph was abusive I can see Steve sort of wishing his dad had died in the war like he claimed.

Joseph Rogers’ A+ Parenting

I haven’t read the comics, so I am not sure if any of them expand on why exactly Joseph is abusive, but I imagine it has a few layers to it. For one, he is a veteran who is no doubt dealing with trauma in a time period when the effects of shellshock are not fully recognised. Alcohol is a common self-medicating tool, and I can see Joseph turning to that for relief.

Add onto that Joseph being a gas casualty, I usually headcanon that it is harder for him to breath after the war. PTSD and difficulty breathing would be a frustrating loss of control for someone like Joseph, and that isn’t even taking into account the daily stress of living in poverty as an Irish-Catholic.

And then there is Steve himself. Steve is chronically ill. He wouldn’t be the ideal son. His illness would cost money, and his breathing problems would probably remind Joseph too much of his own issues.

Ableism would be an easy thing for Joseph to latch on to. Eugenics was popular in that time period, and I can see Joseph seeing Steve as the embodiment of a lot of his anger. He went to war and barely made it back to his wife and child, but his child is sickly and can hardly breathe, and when he gets sick he uses up money that they don’t have.

Of course, Joseph wouldn’t be helping anything. I imagine he would have worked as much as he could, but it is debatable how well he could hold a job. I usually headcanon that he died right before the Great Depression, so he didn’t have to deal with that, but even if jobs were more available in the 1920s, I think his alcoholism would be his worst enemy and lose him jobs every couple of years or so, if not more frequently.

Sarah would be working too, since working class women would be more likely to work than middle class women, but I can see Joseph being sore about that too. I imagine every time he lost his job he was extra bitter about the fact that he had to rely on his wife’s work to survive. Toxic masculinity was deeply entrenched in that time period, so feeling emasculated would not have helped Joseph’s mood at all.

As for how often he drank, it is kind of hard to say. Technically prohibition was going on, but it was easy enough to drink in speakeasies most of the time. I’m not sure how easy it would be for him to buy alcohol and drink it at home, but it would be realistic for him to come home drunk.

Even if he had work that could be the case, since I imagine his work buddies would often go out for a drink after their shift. Of course, Joseph’s drinking would do nothing to help the financial situation of the family.

Joseph and Steve

I imagine Joseph was abusive and was a violent drunk, but while I think he hurt Steve, I don’t think he regularly beat him to a pulp. This is mostly because if he did that, then Steve would die. Steve is sick enough that I don’t think he would survive regular all-out beatings.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Joseph didn’t grab, push, hit, etc. But I think his anger tunnel-visioned on things, so if he were distracted away from it, or Steve managed to get out of the general area, then his focus would be taken elsewhere.

I think Joseph did a lot of damage with his words though. I imagine he yelled a lot about Steve’s inadequacies and how Steve is a waste of money, etc. That kind of thing would stick with Steve for a long time, and I can see him trying to be the least of a burden possible in response.

In general, living with Joseph would put anyone on edge. Even when he wasn’t actively hurting people, he could still get mad over basic things that remind him of his helplessness. Being around him would be like walking on eggshells. I imagine young-Steve flinched at loud noises and slamming doors, and yelling, but also tried not to show it, because his dad didn’t like him ‘being a coward’.

Also, I headcanon that adult Steve never really liked the smell of alcohol, especially on other people. I think part of him was a little glad that the serum made it so he couldn’t get drunk, because that means he can never get violent like his dad. I think Steve was always a little afraid of letting his temper get the best of him after the war, and so he tried to bury his feelings instead of dealing with them, because he didn’t want to turn out like his dad.

Good times

As all humans, Joseph would have his good days. Maybe he found a new job, or maybe something else put him in a good mood, but sometimes he would come home without being angry.

Those would be hard days too, in a way, because Steve and Sarah wouldn’t know if something would set Joseph off—and some days, acting worried that he will get mad would be enough to make him mad.

But I think Steve must have at least a few good memories of his dad. Maybe his dad being proud of him for a good grade in school, or maybe even being proud of him for facing off against bullies and telling them what’s what.

I think sometimes Joseph would try to treat Steve as though he were the son he wanted. He would chat with him about things they could do together ‘as men’, or he would tell him stories of his own boyhood days...but then, inevitable Steve would get sick again, and Joseph’s good humour would wash away.

Others and Joseph

I don’t think Joseph’s abusiveness was a very well kept secret. Tenement building walls are thin, and I imagine the neighbours knew what was going on. But I doubt Joseph was the only loud/violent drunk in the building.

Bucky might not have known the full extent of what was happening—because he was a kid—but he would have seen some of the bruises, and maybe Steve’s initial cautiousness around his own dad, and he would come to the correct conclusion. I don’t think Steve talked a lot about what was happening, but he would probably talk about his dad getting angry about certain things, or breaking stuff sometimes.

I imagine Bucky’s mom knew more about what was going on, and would do her best to help Sarah out, but Sarah would be in a tough spot. Divorce and single-motherhood were generally frowned upon, and her poverty would also make it harder to leave Joseph.

As for Steve’s teachers etc. I think most of them suspected too. But I don’t think much came about from it. Interesting fact, doctors were not legally required to report child abuse cases until the 60s.

Joseph death

This is a headcanon I’ve had laying around that I haven’t been able to put anywhere yet, but I headcanon that Joseph died of influenza when Steve was between 8 and 10. Given their poverty, I think Joseph would have died at home, which is kind of horrible, since that would mean Steve was around to watch his dad get sicker and sicker, and then eventually die.

As an extra cruelty, I think Joseph would be pretty peeved at dying this way, and I can see him vindictively telling Steve that he will die this way too one day, since he gets so sick all the time. I can just see Joseph being spiteful and saying something like that while Steve is trying to look after him while Sarah is working.

MCU canon Joseph

I also have a few thoughts for if Joseph did die in the war, and didn’t come back. I’ve seen content speculating that Steve wanted to join the army because his dad was a soldier. I don’t know if the comics say that anywhere, but I usually headcanon otherwise.

I think having a father who died in war (or having an abusive one afterwards), and seeing what that did to Sarah, Steve would know all too well what war could do to people.

No doubt Steve’s father would be on his mind while he tried to enlist, but I think saying he wanted to join mainly because his father was a soldier takes away from the heart of the reason Steve wanted to join—he felt like Hitler needed to be stopped, and he didn’t have a right not to do something about it.

Well, that got longer than I thought it would, but I hope you enjoyed!

Headcanon masterpost

#tw child abuse #tw ableism #tw eugenics #tw alchoholism #asks #headcanon #headcanons #steve rogers #joseph rogers #joseph rogers a+ parenting #marvel #mcu #long post #tw death #tw illness #tw alcohol #tw drinking

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glassandroses · 2 years

Text

MASTERLIST

Requests are open!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Works

Series

A Court of Time and Space (Non-ship, Doctor Who crossover)

Feyre Archeron has done many things in her life, much of which she would never wish to look back on, but now she must face the past- her past as Clara Oswald.

Dreamer’s Court (Multi-ship, modern AU + band AU)

It’s Feyre Archeron’s 19th birthday, and she wants nothing more than to see her favorite band, the Dreamer’s Court, and the lead singer Rhysand. Nesta Archeron pulls a few strings with her friend Amren, the manager of the band, and Feyre is transported into the world of rock ‘n’ roll.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (Multi-ship, Charmed crossover + modern AU)

When Feyre leaves her abusive ex and makes a distress call, her sisters are brought back together and the magic of the Power of Three is awakened once again.

Midsommar (Non-ship, Midsommar rewrite + Dead Dove)

A couple, Feyre Archeron and Tamlin Springfield, and their group of friends travel to Sweden to visit their friend's rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival.

A Court of Widows and Espionage (Nessian, Marvel Crossover)

Nesta is not her real name. Velaris is not her home, but she’ll be leaving soon enough. She’ll be going to find her real family, her real home. She’s done hiding, and she’s done running from her past.

Rhysand Knight: Ace Attorney (Non-ship, Ace Attorney series rewrite + modern AU)

Rookie defense attorney Rhysand Knight strives to protect his clients in various murder trials, including the death of his mentor, Nesta Archeron. Rhysand's greatest- and only- ally is Nesta's youngest sister Feyre, a spirit medium whose body can be possessed by Nesta to communicate with him from beyond the grave.

Falling Down (Morrigan/OC, based on Alice In Wonderland)

Katrin was tricked. Fooled. Now, she found herself in a world where she didn’t fit. Finding herself in a mystical city called Velaris, she hopes to bloom a new future for herself and the people who have so kindly invited her into their family.

Mini-Series

All Is Fair In Love and Cupcakes (Nessian, modern AU + baker AU)

Nesta Archeron’s daily routine is thrown off-kilter when the bakery she favors is out of red velvet cupcakes, her favorites. Luckily, the baker on shift, Cassian, has a solution.

Oneshots

I Don’t Know Why (Nessian, angst + fluff)

Nesta and Cassian may always drift away, but they always find each other again.

Praying - The Song of Feyre and Tamlin (Non-ship, angst with a happy ending)

A story in six parts, each telling the tale of Feyre’s forgiveness of Tamlin.

Puppy Love (Elucien, fluff + modern AU)

Elain surprises her husband Lucien with the best surprise of them all- a puppy.

Cravings (Elriel, fluff + modern AU)

Azriel would do anything for his wife, especially now that she’s pregnant with their child. That includes scouring the city streets for anything remotely edible for his wife’s cravings.

Nightmares (Feysand, hurt/comfort + smut + modern AU)

Feyre has a nightmare and her roommate Rhys calms her down.

Throne of Glass

Series

Chicago Belle (Non-ship, One Chicago crossover + modern AU)

After Aelin and Aedion Ashryver’s foster mother is found murdered, they become suspects in a wild case with mysterious trails and clues- with the most mysterious of all being that one of the Intelligence officers looks almost exactly like their mother.

Wizarding World

Series

Father’s Daughter (Sirius Black/Reader, Marvel crossover + golden trio era)

You’re the daughter of Tony Stark, you’re an inventor with an IQ that can rival your father’s and you’ve just found out that you’re a half-blooded witch. You’re brought into the Order of the Phoenix by Albus Dumbledore to perfect your most recent invention, one that he believes could win the war.

Shadowhunter Chronicles

Series

Take My Hand (Malec, modern/college AU + no powers AU)

As a college senior, Alec wanted nothing more than to graduate, but didn’t expect to find someone- much less with transfer student and fellow senior Magnus Bane. What follows if a flurry of secrets and scandals, heartbreak and soul-searing love.

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jess-rewatches-prodigalson · 3 years

Text

Face Value (S2, E7)

My time-stamped thoughts for this episode. As always I reference Malcolm’s mental health. A lot. So if that’s going to be a trigger for you, don’t keep reading.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

0:05 - Hold your horses. Malcolm taught at Quantico?!? I mean, I realize that he probably just did the occasional guest lecture (like most profilers?) but I’m still stupidly proud of him. <3

0:50 - ngl Malcolm’s a good lecturer. Take it from a university student.

1:13 - “It’s okay. We don’t know what you did and it’s not that mu-....BREATHE” Holy shit. I’m torn between ranting about what a great actor Tom Payne is and losing my mind because this scene is heartbreaking. Look at Malcolm. I swear he’s reminding himself to breathe - not Ainsley. He’s completely panicking but he’s trying so hard to be strong for Ainsley. This boy is an absolute treasure. Brother of the CENTURY.

1:41 - “You’re right Ainsley. I screwed up.” NO NO NO NO NO. Can you hear the sound of my heart shattering?!? This scene is so much more devastating the second time. When you know Ainsley is putting ON A SHOW HERE. Look at Malcolm’s face. He’s devastated. He blames himself for AINSLEY’S actions. He’s starting to genuinely believe that he’s no better than Martin Whitly. Malcolm’s depression/anxiety is through the roof in this episode. I honestly won’t be shocked if Malcolm has a complete mental breakdown in the next few episodes. Hell, I don’t think I’d be surprised if he tries to OD on his meds. This boy is in crisis and I’m terrified for him.

1:44 - “I think I did too.”.....this line is interesting. Is this part of Ainsley’s act or is she showing some regret for putting Malcolm through this much emotional torment? She can clearly see that this whole situation is literally destroying her brother’s already fragile peace of mind.

1:55 - “Today could be the day!”.....the day that everyone finds out about Endicott and Ainsley.....seriously, Malcolm’s daily affirmations this season have done nothing but feed his anxiety.

2:04 - OF COURSE. A call from Martin. Malcolm is going to have a mental breakdown. It’s just everything. All at once. I’m getting secondhand anxiety FOR him.

2:35 - hahaha Martin is a crazy, evil, pain in the ass but damn is he entertaining.

2:55 - 1) Ainsley looks adorable in Malcolm’s hoodie. 2) Ainsley straight up leaves his loft later in this episode. Did she hid a change of clothes in the loft before Malcolm got home last night? Or does she actually leave her big brother’s apartment in his clothes?

3:05 - “Getting hit by a train might be better.” Yep. Malcolm is entering a dangerous territory. I know depression is different for everyone but for me, when I start joking - out loud - to people I love about death in passing....things are bad. Like I’m getting suicidal bad. I know Malcolm has a morbid job and he talks about death all the time but this feels like Malcolm is starting to consider suicide as an option.

3:34 - I can see Ainsley’s “You were trying to control me” perspective. BUT honestly? Take a step back and listen to the desperation and fear in Malcolm’s voice. Anyone with half a brain cell can HEAR how scared Malcolm is and how deeply he loves his sister. Ainsley has known Malcolm her entire life. If she was functioning on all cylinders - she would know that Malcolm is just being a protective big brother. He’s not trying to control her - just help her. But this has been a theme for Ainsley since season 1 when she brought up visiting Martin during family dinner. She seems to believe that Jessica and Malcolm think that she’s a “fragile flower” and that she can’t take care of herself. I understand how that could be frustrating but I also find it concerning that Ainsley doesn’t seem to understand that they aren’t treating her that way because they think she’s weak or stupid but rather out of love. Ainsley acts like a petulant child about this sort of thing (anger, whining, eye-rolling). Ainsley acts very entitled a lot, in the sense that if something doesn’t go her way she just throws a hissy fit (think reporting and/or any Whitly family squabble). Ainsley is messed up. Unlike Malcolm, she doesn’t seem to have any self-awareness when it comes to her behavioural eccentricities. Malcolm actively tries to improve his mental state. Ainsley just throws a hissy fit when the world doesn’t bend to her will.....and this stream of consciousness Ainsley rant just became wayyyyy longer than I had anticipated (sorry).

3:41 - “Promise me.” See that look? Ainsley is pissed at Malcolm. This girl’s anger is concerning me.......what if (crazy thought) the season finale is Martin escaping Claremont to stop Ainsley from killing Malcolm?

3:43 - I wish I could be happier about this hug. Malcolm is finally getting a hug but.....he instigated it and he’s not the one being comforted sooooooooo I’m still unsatisfied.

3:49 - “Hey, you look...terrible.” SCREAM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS DANI!! God. I love how concerned she is about Malcolm. IDC how you feel about Brightwell. If you don’t think they’re good friends - you’re a moron.

4:05 - This is the moment when I went....oooohhhh yeah. LDP directed this episode. That’s probably why he’s not in this scene.

4:10 - JT is a GOOD husband. Give him a medal. Seriously - last season he was going to watch the Taylor wedding live with Tally (who was going to wear a hat <3 ), this season Mr. Masculine casually throws out stats about the Housewives. hahaha I don’t even care if JT genuinely enjoys the Housewives or not. I’m just so utterly delighted at the idea of him watching it with his wife and having a good time with her. <3 JT is the definition of a good husband and I’m HERE FOR IT.

4:34 - .......seriously? I thought Edrisa had realized that this crush is unrequited last season? I love Edrisa but her obsession with Malcolm is getting a little creepy. Like “13 year old in love with the 40 year old math teacher” creepy. It’s sort of cute but also like - gurl. No.

4:38 - Ok. Dani’s reaction to Edrisa hitting on Malcolm saves the scene for me. Lol.

4:51 - Ugh. That is a really creepy corpse.

4:56 - Look. We’ve all obsessed about it already but I have to bring it up: MALCOLM STILL HAS THE BRUISE FROM THE ELEVATOR. SOMEONE GIVE THE MAKEUP DEPARTMENT A MEDAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING MALCOLM’S PHYSICAL TRAUMA.

5:21- ......ok maybe I’m projecting my cynicism here but anyone who has framed newspaper clippings about themselves in their office is seriously egocentric. Maybe it’s just me - but that’s a massive turn off and takes someone out of the running for “angel” status.

6:10 - I’m sorry for every time I thought Jessica was a crazy rich lady during season 1. Birdie is so so so much crazier.

6:36 - “Only the men you date.” Bitch. OMG. Who says something that backhanded and cruel to their sibling?!?!? ......oh wait. I remember how this episode ends :|

7:15 - THANK YOU. I’ve been wondering about the status of Martin’s medical certification since I watched the pilot. SO happy to find out that he couldn’t weasel his way into keeping it.

7:37 - Like most of you, I’ve been creeped out by this whole Martin/Capshaw interaction since it was released as a promo clip. Seriously - it’s creepy. There’s an upsetting amount of subtle flirting here. I’m not sure what it is about Capshaw but her whole energy is just really unnerving to me. I immediately hated her in the promo. Istg Capshaw is an undercover serial killer or something. AND IF SHE BECOMES A LOVE INTEREST FOR MARTIN I WILL LOSE MY SHIT.

8:06 - Oh yeah. She’s either romantically interested in Martin or she’s a psychopath on the DL and is playing him.

8:12 - YAY!!! The Yankee mug returns!!! <3

8:34 - “Sometimes the most monstrous people are the ones hiding in plain sight.” Ouch. I know the writers like to project Malcolm’s emotional turmoil on the case of the week but hearing those words come out of Gil’s mouth?!? Ouch. That hurt Malcolm. Bad. It wasn’t even directed at Malcolm but damn. This is not helping his mental health. At all.

8:41 - Gil. Is. Concerned. <3 :) .....pretty sure Gil also suspects about Endicott and Ainsley by now too. .....hmmmmm maybe that comment about monsters was Gil’s way of trying to get Malcolm to confess (or to gauge Malcolm’s reaction)?

9:15 - I feel so bad for Malcolm here. He’s literally juggling everyone’s problems. Ainsley’s murder situation. Jessica’s personal drama. But is he dealing with his emotional problems? No. He’s too busy being a good son/brother. SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO MALCOLM. HE NEEDS A HUG.

9:35 - Deer. In. Headlights. Well....at least Dani knows Malcolm’s about to have a mental breakdown. This boy just got more information to help him crack a murder case and he looks confused, startled, and lost. He’s usually excited and motivated. This Endicott situation is slowly killing Malcolm. I don’t know how much longer he can struggle under the weight of the guilt.

9:48 - Look at this. Ainsley is pissed off that Malcolm isn’t paying attention to her. We know that this whole 2nd murder was a sham so WTF? Is she really just that hungry for attention? That sounds like Martin Whitly to me - the narcissistic psychopath who needs attention like an addict needs cocaine. Also AINSLEY’S acting here?!? We know that she’s lying to Malcolm but holy shit. She’s a really good actress/liar? What else has she lied about?!?

10:05 - Ok. So just when did Ainsley remember? I honestly think she’s known since at least 2x01.

10:20 - Look. I understand that Ainsley is pissed that Malcolm is trying to ‘control her’. But did she even listen to the desperation and fear in his voice? This boy wants her to stay in the loft because he’s scared of who she might hurt if she’s out in public, unsupervised. He’s not trying to abuse or hurt her - just protect her. Is he misguided -maybe? Should he have called the cops on Ainsley right away - probably. But he didn’t out of love. Ainsley doesn’t even seem to realize how much this whole situation is hurting Malcolm and that’s the biggest problem. She doesn’t show any remorse at killing Endicott. She’s just pissed off that Malcolm lied about it. SHE KILLED SOMEONE an she (outwardly at least) feels no remorse. This girl is a psychopath (sociopath?) and this will NOT end well for Malcolm and Jessica.

10:27 - This whole scene was awesome btw. Tom Payne flawlessly communicated Malcolm’s panic, fear, anger, and desperate attempts to stay calm. And Dani’s blatant concern (and suspicion) of Malcolm and his mental state. AND Ainsley being a little brat. Ugh. So beautiful.

10:45 - I love this scene. I love the fact that they have the type of friendship where Dani’s not afraid to call Malcolm out on his crap (trying to hide things from the team). I love that Malcolm isn’t offended that Dani called him out. He doesn’t lie. Ainsley is lost at the moment. Malcolm is more honest with Dani about how the whole Ainsley thing is affecting him than he is with anyone else. I love that Dani still looks suspicious and concerned. I love watching Dani piece this whole thing together. I’m honestly at a point where I think Dani is going to know about Endicott before Gil. I love that Dani gives Malcolm honest, judgement-free advise. Because she doesn’t like seeing how much pain Malcolm is in. I love that Malcolm isn’t completely shutting her out. <3

11:00 - “What if she already has?”.....yep. Dani is totally piecing the Endicott situation together.

11:09 - “I’m overthinking it.” THIS. There is a split second where you can see the betrayal on Dani’s face. She knows Malcolm is hiding something and she’s hurt that he doesn’t trust her enough to let her in. She’s also probably hurt because she views this as a lie - which brings back 1x20 memories.

11:35 - “Even when they’re as beautiful as you.” Ugh. I love this so so so so much. Look at how Dani absolutely lights up at Malcolm’s unintentional compliment. I relate to Dani in the sense that I’m a woman in a male dominated field (engineering). I can’t tell you how often men that she works with have probably objectified her, belittled her, and sexualized her. Malcolm isn’t doing this. He doesn’t call her hot. He doesn’t comment on her body or how she dresses. He doesn’t even acknowledge that she’s a woman. He just calls her beautiful. But he does it in a way that you can tell he’s being genuine. He doesn’t expect anything in return for the compliment. He’s not trying to play the long game. He’s just thinks she’s beautiful. He doesn’t even realize that he said it. BECAUSE Malcolm is in profiler mode. He’s focused on the murder - not Dani. He mentioned that Dani’s beauty off-handedly because 1) he believes it and 2) it was relevant to his profiling train of thought. BUT LOOK AT HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO DANI. <3 <3 <3

12:00 - Why is Chabra exiled to the corner of the room?!?! Someone explain this tomfoolery. Is it literally to just get across that Chabra is not the alpha in this corrupt plastic surgery business?!?

12:16 - Ew. Please never say YOLO. Ever. It’s cringy when kids say it but it’s so so so much worse when someone over 25 says it.

12:18 - hhahahahahahaha OMG. Dani’s face after he says “yolo”.

12:31 - Yep. This dude is an asshole. DO NOT try to convince Malcolm to get plastic surgery. The dude has enough problems without adding dysmorphia to the mix.

12:41 - Yep. Chabra is the little puppy that follows Donahue around and does the grunt work.

12:50 - LOOK AT THE NOD DONAHUE GIVES CHABRA when Chabra denies that stock has gone missing. Can you arrest someone for being a rich, corrupt, asshole?! Ugh. Hate him.

13:20 - Ugh. I really want to know more about Dani’s past. Who in the NYPD tried to belittle, micromanage, or sexualize her just because she’s a woman?

13:30 - “I want Donahue to be the bad guy.” PREACH SISTER.

13:48 - “Easy. We just isolate him with our own alpha males.” hahaha OMG. LET”S GO. I was so pumped when this scene cut to JT and Gil. BUT I was also a little sad. Malcolm doesn’t consider himself to be an alpha male (I mean, he’s not) but it really just drove home to be that Malcolm sees himself as broken. Gil has been Malcolm’s positive male role model for years. But Malcolm doesn’t think he’s anything like Gil. Malcolm thinks he’s broken where Gil is whole, weak where Gil is strong, and bad when Gil is good. It just sort of broke my heart.

14:00 - hahaha Chabra is just a wimp. Watching Gil and JT play angry cop, calm cop was so so so good though. <3

14:05 - This was the moment that I remembered LDP was directing this episode. I’m not usually someone who notices camera work or anything but this was a really cool shot.

15:00 - Oh c’mon. Seriously? Edrisa’s crush has gone too far. She knows he doesn’t like her romantically. Everyone knows it. Please stop this. I’m getting secondhand embarrassment.

15:16 - Did Edrisa think they were going to do it in the morgue?!? Those flowers?!? Like wtf. I can’t.

15:29 - I’ll give props to Malcolm here. He’s being really kind to Edrisa here. BUT HE NEEDS TO TELL HER HE’S NOT INTERESTED BECAUSE SHE’S CLEARLY NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE.

15:33 - Ugh. Look at how uncomfortable Malcolm is. This is upsetting.

16:08 - “What?!? How do you -” Panic. Pure panic in Malcolm’s eyes. Damn. This boy is spiralling. Someone needs to find out about Endicott. Malcolm can’t keep trying to protect Ainsley and Jessica alone. It’s literally killing him.

17:14 - “All she could see was the ugliness she felt inside.” “That’s a sad way to live.” .........the parallels between the plastic surgery, dysmorphia, and vengeful crime of the week to Malcolm’s current mental health and Ainsley’s crime is slowly killing me. I’m honestly getting annoyed that the other characters aren’t picking up on all the subtle references Malcolm’s making to the fact that he thinks he’s a monster. I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO COMFORT HIM. THAT’S ALL. WHY IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FEDAK!??!

17:30 - Another point to the Dani/Malcolm friendship. She takes out the gun and pushes Malcolm back. Is she trying to protect him? Technically, yes. BUT she’s just doing her job. I love that Malcolm respects Dani enough to let her take charge and do her job. I love that he’s secure enough about his masculinity to let her.

18:15 - Yikes. This woman is 90% plastic. Cosmetic plastic surgery is terrifying.

20:16 - Another reminder of the woman’s ward. Either Sophie Sanders or Ainsley is going to end up in that ward soon (I’m still half-convinced that Sophie is going to appear out of the woodwork and take the fall for Endicott).

21:49 - “...convinced her that she would never have a career unless she looked the part.” <3 Look at how disgusted Gil is when Dani tells him that. Gil is a good man and I love him forever. <3

22:33 - I love this. Dani and Gil are both concerned about Malcolm and communicating it in looks. It won’t be long until there’s a team intervention for Malcolm’s mental health (or at least, that’s my headcanon - if someone wants to write me a fic about it I’ll love you forever).

22:44 - WTF GIL. WHY AREN’T YOU ASKING MALCOLM WHAT’S WRONG?!?! IS IT BECAUSE YOU ALREADY KNOW AND YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT IT YET?!?!

22:49 -.....soooooo does this mean that Gil already knew that Birdie existed?!? How often did Birdie appear after Martin’s arrest?!?! I WANT DETAILS.

23:06 - Holy shit. Look at that little smirk Ainsley shoots Malcolm when he first walks in and sees her. Ainsley is maliciously toying with Malcolm and I DON”T LIKE IT.

23:14 - Jessica is concerned. I promise you Ainsley and Malcolm have rarely - if ever - fought like this in front of her. I was raised in single parent home after my abusive dad left. I know how that changes the sibling dynamic. No matter how genuinely pissed off you are - you don’t stress Mom out more. If you’re just annoyed with each other and doing regular ‘sibling squabbling’ - then you whine and argue in front of Mom. But if you’re seriously angry with each other - you deal with it when Mom isn’t home to see it because no matter what - you both appreciate how hard Mom is working to keep what’s left of your family together.

23:28 - “Malcolm. Looking more like your father every day.” BITCH. Did she just say that because she watched Malcolm go off on Ainsley? Sure, Malcolm was a little controlling (probably similar to a situation Birdie witnessed between Jess and Martin back in the day) but HOLY SHIT. That is your nephew. Maybe he’s having a bad day. Maybe being told he resembles a serial killer is really damaging to his already fragile pysche. I don’t like Birdie. AND I DON”T LIKE THAT JESSICA DOESN”T STAND UP FOR MALCOLM HERE.

24:00 - I don’t like this. These Martin+Capshaw scenes are really hard to watch. Martin is still acting like Martin - manipulative, egotistic, manicA. But he’s also acting like a professional doctor (an asshole doctor but still). It’s really disconcerting to watch Capshaw take his medical opinion seriously. Plus - there’s something about Capshaw that creeps me out. I just haven’t figured out what it is yet. But I’m pretty sure she’s a bad lady.

24:16 - “What bit should I use?” - See this? No. Just...no. I don’t like how she’s taking Martin’s medical advise to heart so readily.

25:04 - Why was Martin allowed to watch the procedure?!? He’s clearly getting a sick amount of pleasure from the blood and drilling. Look at the way Martin grins at Capshaw too. Martin is planning out an entire scheme to manipulate Capshaw into helping him escape. You can see the metaphoric lightbulb above his head.

25:29 - This meal. Seriously. Was I the only one who got a glimpse of the meat in a red sauce and thought “human meat”?!? No wonder Malcolm’s main food group is liquorice.

25:44 - Poor Jessica. She is not having a good time. Jessica’s behaviour in this scene is really interesting though. Jessica repeatedly shoots apologetic looks at Malcolm. She looks at Ainsley with fear. She looks super uncomfortable. She’s not saying much because she desperately wants a relationship with her sister but she also doesn’t want to belittle her son’s career. She’s proud of Malcolm - in her own way.

26:00 - “The family trust fund would run dry.” hahahahaha YES MALCOLM. THROW THAT SHADE. hahahaha

26:23 - “Most of the time anyway” Wow. Uncalled for. I know Ainsley is mad but this isn’t cool. I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that Birdie has been approached by Europol about the Endicott murder. I have this terrifying notion that Birdie is trying to collect intel so she can sell the information to Europol. If I’m right (which I’m probably not) this comment will not help Malcolm’s case.

26:41 - hahaha look at how annoyed Jessica is. Is she annoyed because her children are openly fighting in front of their Aunt when Jessica wants to portray the “perfect, undamaged family”? Or is Jessica annoyed because what Ainsley just said was out of line and she’s scared of Ainsley right now?

27:02 - “Why would you do that? I told you I would handle everything.” This. This is why I will argue that Ainsley is way out of line. Yes, Malcolm is sort of trying to control her. BUT listen to his words, the desperation and fear in his voice. Malcolm is trying to protect Ainsley. Ainsley has every right to be annoyed with him but if she was functioning at an adult mental capacity she’d be able to see that he isn’t being malicious.

27:35 - The fact that Birdie is a backstabbing, lying bitch is so frustrating to me. Look at how badly Jessica wants to have a healthy relationship with her little sister. Jessica just wants a girl-friend to confide in and drink with. I’m heartbroken that Martin stole that from her.

28:05 - I know LDP was directing this episode but JT or Dani should’ve called Malcolm. Why? This conversation between Gil and Malcolm (WHEN GIL IS WEARING HIS COAT) just makes me wonder - where is Gil going? JT is at Donahue’s apartment. Dani and Malcolm are going to talk to Chabra. Where is Gil going?!?

29:07 - ....how did Donahue get the coke into the cheetah? Was there a release thingy (like in a piggy bank) that Malcolm just elected not to use in the panic of the moment?

29:14 - “What else would you hide in a cheetah?” hahahahahaha

29:40 - “No. No. Only if I got the dose wrong.” Yikes. Malcolm is operating in full panic mode here. This is not good for his mental health.

30:08 - “This is the worst cooking show ever.” hahaha this was hilarious but cooking show? What? Do I not watch enough of those? Because I don’t see the link.

30:38 - The moment when Malcolm looks at Dani with fear. He thinks he just killed Chabra and he’s terrified that Dani is looking at him with hatred. :(

30:46 - The two seconds when Malcolm thinks he killed someone. Look at his face. That boy is broken. Again - if he doesn’t have a full on mental breakdown soon I’m going to be so annoyed with the writers because NO HUMAN CAN WITHSTAND THIS MUCH TRAUMA THIS QUICKLY - WITHOUT ANY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT - AND COME OUT FUNCTIONAL.

31:03 - “I do not miss drugs.” :O Dani :( Sweetie <3 Ugh. This line was heartbreaking because it hurts to remember that Dani had a drug problem. But it’s also really great. She was just in front of 1 gram of cocaine. She didn’t grab for it. It didn’t reawaken the urge to use in her. She was strong enough to say “I don’t miss this life” and say it OUT LOUD in front of Malcolm. <3 Friendship. She’s starting to trust Malcolm more. This is good....until she finds out about Endicott.

31:45 - Wait. If Birdie knew about Endicott and Jessica.....does she know about Gil?!?!

31:49 - “Trust but verify.” That’s such a heartbreaking way to live. I hate that she has to live in a world without trust because of what Martin did. I want Jessica to be happy. So so badly.

32:06 - .....how did Jessica find out about the book?!!?! Seriously.

32:17 - “Mummy”. Mrs. Milton is alive?!?! What. OMG. So....but how? Jessica is living in the Milton family home. Jessica is rich. But Birdie has been cut off from the family money. However, it’s clear from this conversation that Jessica and her mother aren’t on speaking terms. So how did this work? When did Jessica move into the Milton family home and why? Where is Jessica’s money coming from? Did Jessica invest her trust fund money smartly and make a fortune? Does Jessica still have access to the Milton family bank accounts?!? AND WHERE IS JESSICA’S DAD?!!? I WANT MORE INFORMATION FEDAK.

32:49 - Malcolm is his mother’s son. Look at this. Jessica is so hurt by what Birdie has done. However, Jessica sighs, takes a breath and helps her little sister out at the cost of causing herself pain. Malcolm would do the exact same for Ainsley. He has.

33:40 - “And do we need to talk about last night?!?” Gil has been different this season. Less soft. More strict.

33:51 - Look at how Gil stares at Dani here. He’s annoyed and concerned. Concerned because she was in close proximity to drugs last night. Annoyed because he created a monster. Gil put together is badass, sarcastic daughter with his unstable, awkward son and they are creating a headache for him.

34:41 - “even for consultants?” hahaha

36:50 - The irony that our killer of the week is a woman who is in pain, feels disfigured, and murders in revenge is so so thick.

37:18 - “It’s enough to drive anyone insane”.....like the emotional pain that Malcolm is currently suffering from?

38:42 - “The best revenge is letting him live like this.” The moment Malcolm realized that Ainsley was manipulating him. Look at the hurt and fear on his little face. :(

39:00 - Ugh. I can’t tell who’s manipulating who in this whole Capshaw+Martin relationship but it’s all gross. I swear if they become romantic I will puke. These two are a psychopathic match made in heaven.

40:08 - I could write essays upon essays about this final scene but I need to sleep. So it’s going into point form without time stamps:

First off - Halston Sage and Tom Payne give us an AMAZING performance in this scene and they deserve an Emmy for it. Seriously.

Look at how Ainsley walks into the room. She’s self-satisfied. She feels no remorse. She’s pleased that Malcolm has been suffering.

Look at how utterly empty Malcolm is when he greets Ainsley. This boy is in shock. He’s so deeply hurt and he just had one of his greatest fears confirmed - Ainsley is like Martin.

“Do you have any idea what you put me through?!?” This. Yes, Malcolm is upset and hurt but there’s a part of me that genuinely thinks this question isn’t rhetorical. There’s a part of me that thinks Malcolm is desperately trying to get Ainsley to admit to feeling remorse so that he can convince himself that his baby sister isn’t gone forever.

“Do you?” Ainsley is mad. She has a right to be. Malcolm did lie to her. He probably should’ve told her the truth. HOWEVER, if Ainsley was a functional adult - she would’ve just confronted Malcolm about it. She has every right to be pissed but her behaviour has been downright petty, juvenile, and cruel.

“Underestimated me. For months.” Is this the root of Ainsley’s anger? She mentioned something similar in 1x6 when Jessica and Malcolm tried to stop her from visiting Martin. She resents Jessica and Malcolm for treating her like a child. For trying to protect her from Martin. On one hand, I understand - that’s probably suffocating and frustrating. On the other hand, Ainsley’s acting like a child so....why wouldn’t they treat her like one?

“I have given up everything for you!! I don’t even know who I am anymore.” This breaks me. Malcolm is screaming through tears. He’s so utterly broken (this doesn’t count as a mental breakdown Fedak....you better give me more). Malcolm is rightfully frustrated that Ainsley doesn’t acknowledge that he literally threw out his moral code to protect her. That when this gets out - his relationship with his only real friends since he was 10 years old (JT and Dani) will probably want nothing to do with him. Malcolm probably thinks that Gil will abandon him WHEN the Endicott thing comes out. Malcolm has thrown his fragile mental health down the drain to protect Ainsley. He thinks he’s a monster. Yes. Malcolm made the choice to protect Ainsley. Ainsley doesn’t have to be grateful. She doesn’t have to respect his decision. But acknowledging that his decision was made out of love would sure help. Malcolm wanted to be a good big brother so badly that he threw away his sense of self.

“Protect me? Or control me?” Wow. Okay. I get it. Ainsley feels controlled which is bad for someone who likes being in control. But Malcolm was never trying to control Ainsley. Malcolm was trying to control a situation. Not a person. Is what Malcolm did right? No, lying to Ainsley wasn’t a great choice. But telling her the truth also wasn’t a great choice. He was damned either way.

“For someone who spent the last few decades trying to recover from being gaslight; it’s ironic how quickly you resorted to it.” Uncalled for. Was Malcolm gaslighting Ainsley? Technically, yes. HOWEVER, one of the main criteria for gaslighting is that the gaslighter is aware that they’re gaslighting someone. I honestly don’t think Malcolm realized he was gaslighting Ainsley - look at his face when she mentions it: he looks heartbroken. BESIDES. How is AINSLEY NOT GASLIGHTING MALCOLM RIGHT NOW?!?! “That’s exactly what Dad would say.” She’s trying to convince Malcolm that he’s just like Martin. She’s made him believe that she murdered a second person. She made him an accomplice to her fake murder. She knowingly continued with this ruse after he came clean and told her the truth. And he was nothing but supportive and protective. Malcolm helped her hide a body. Why is Ainsley playing the victim?!

Look at the torture on Malcolm’s face right before he apologizes to Ainsley for lying to her. This boy is being gaslight and he doesn’t even realize it.

FURTHERMORE I DON’T RECALL AINSLEY APOLOGIZING TO MALCOLM FOR MAKING HIM 1) HIDE A BODY, 2) LIE TO THEIR MOM, 3) LIE TO GIL, 4) AN ACCOMPLICE TO A SECOND (FAKE) MURDER, 5) LYING TO MALCOLM ABOUT THE SECOND MURDER. She just says, “Maybe it was a little over the top.” Come on. No.

“I appreciate that.” SERIOUSLY. Ainsley doesn’t even have the curtesy to say “I’m sorry too.” or “I know you did what you thought was best”?!? Her response feels bitter and angry. She doesn’t forgive Malcolm. She’s still livid despite the fact that her brother is literally breaking apart in front of her. There’s no questioning the genuineness of Malcolm’s apology. That’s sincere pain and remorse.

This whole scene is super disturbing because Malcolm is on the verge of tears. He’s visibly upset. Yet - Ainsley is channeling a quiet, disassociating anger (similar to what she looked like right before she murdered Endicott). She’s completely consumed by anger. She’s not acting rationally and it’s really disconcerting to watch the contrast between the two siblings.

“I had to make sure that you were never going to mess with my head again.” .....you know, a functional adult human (hell, even a half-functional adult human) would just verbally confront their sibling about it. They probably wouldn’t fully trust or forgive their sibling right away but they wouldn’t pull a stunt as cruel and malicious as Ainsley just pulled on Malcolm. The problem with Ainsley’s behaviour vs. Malcolm’s is this: Ainsley is intentionally hurting Malcolm out of anger. Ainsley wants revenge. Malcolm reacted out of fear and panic to protect Ainsley. Malcolm just wants to be a good big brother. Neither of them are perfectly in the right but Ainsley is so so so out of line.

“You need to lighten up. We got away with it.” Ainsley is a serial killer. Say it from the rooftops. This is the first time she’s shown an emotion other than anger/disassociation all episode. Ainsley is happy that they got away with it. Malcolm is crumpling under the guilt and grief but Ainsley is happy.

“No one does this murder stuff better than us.” Holy shit. I can’t. Malcolm looks so so so heartbroken here. He just realized that his sister is gone forever. AND AINSLEY damn. This girl needs some serious help. She’s going to kill again. She liked it the first time. I bet you she slaughtered the pig just to get her fix. She could’ve boughten the pig’s blood from a butcher shop or something but I bet you she killed the pig herself. And I bet you she liked it.

Hoxley is a flamboyant gay and a cocky profiler. That’s just a fact.

I can’t. Alan Cummings will always be the villain from Spy Kids to me. I don’t know how I’m going to take Hoxley seriously.

Yoooooo Endicott’s head is creepy af.

Damn. This isn’t good. Hoxley is going to ruin Malcolm’s life. I can feel it.

Okay. I loved this episode. I have a lot of feelings about it (obviously). I’m so bitter that we have to wait until April 13th for the next episode. See you guys next time. If you read this far - thanks for hanging out.

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five-rivers · 4 years

Text

Interview With a Ghost, Part 2

Part one is here. The Dannymay prompt used is ‘Bones.’

"Well," said Captain Jones, over the intercom, "that answers that question."

"Not really," said Patterson. "It doesn't really explain all the ancient China stuff. We didn't even ask him about that."

"I think it does, actually," said Collins, tapping his fingers on the table. "If he didn't want people to know that he'd died and was continuing to live his human life, what better way to throw them off the trail than by mimicking a old legend like that?"

"But the Fentons said it wasn't well known," said Patterson. "Who would have known about it when the Fentons first showed up?"

"It certainly narrows down the list of potential..." Collins groaned. "What do we even call this? Victims? Suspects? Possibly dead people?"

"Before you two get too tied up in semantics," said the captain, voice coming through the intercom again. "We have some things to discuss. My office."

Collins and Patterson weren't the only ones assembling in the captain's office. Captain Jones had called Molly, the medical examiner, in as well. She sat on the chair in front of his desk, a stack of papers in her lap.

Jones shut the door behind him and locked it. "Alright," he said, rubbing his face and sinking into his chair. "So, before you called me in to watch that interview, I was talking to Molly. She told me some interesting things about Phantom's body. I assume you've already told these two what you've learned."

"I've gotten a little more, since then, actually," said Molly.

"Go ahead, then," said Jones.

"Well, at this point we're pretty sure that the cause of death is electrocution... Or we would be, if it wasn't for the whole 'only half a body' thing he has going on." Molly sighed. "He has electrical burns on his bones. They're black in spots."

"Ouch," said Patterson. "What a way to go."

"Yeah. Let's not bring it up to him, okay?"

"It might be a way to figure out it's him, though, make him break cover."

Captain Jones cleared his throat. Collins and Patterson turned to look at him, expectant.

"That brings us to the bones of this matter, so to speak," said Jones.

Collins suppressed a twitch of his lips. The captain liked puns, but admitting that one found them humorous could be hazardous. Mainly because it would result in more puns.

"What is that, sir?" he asked.

"Do we want to expose Phantom? Assuming that he is masquerading as a living person, something I'm not entirely convinced of. Especially considering your mention of legends and 'ancient China stuff.'" The captain circled the words with air quotes. "Care to explain?"

"The Fentons believe that Phantom is the same ghost as one that shows up in a bunch of legends around the world," said Collins. "We were going to look into them, next, but Phantom showed up."

"So, in other words, there's some evidence that he's, what, hundreds of years old?"

"I suppose," said Collins.

"Which would mean that's someone else's body. Because there's no way it's that old, right, Molly?"

"Not unless all that ectoplasm in it preserved it, somehow," said Molly. "I wouldn't entirely discount that, by the way. I'm not an ectologist."

"And everyone who is, is a suspect because of the ectoplasm and the body's age," put in Patterson.

Captain Jones cleared his throat. "As long as that's not the case," he said, "that means that, if Phantom is playing at being alive, he's doing it with someone else's life."

There was a pause, the words heavy on the air.

"You don't think he actually killed anyone, do you, sir?" asked Patterson.

"No," said the captain. "I don't. But it's something we have to consider, because if it is the case, then we have an obligation to reveal him. But if it isn't... What do you think will happen if we reveal Phantom and he leaves? If he's just continuing his- his 'life,'" again his hands came up to make quotes, "and he's not hurting anyone, there's no reason to reveal him, and many reasons not to, including the safety of the city."

"There is a reason to reveal him, even then," said Patterson. "If he's lying about it being an accident. If he was murdered. Or if the accident wasn't as out there as he wants us to think it is. I mean, he's a teenager. They don't just drop dead for no reason, and, well, Dave's wife had a point."

"You mean with her comment about abuse," said Captain Jones.

"Yeah," said Patterson.

"If it helps," said Molly, "there aren't any other detectable signs of abuse on his body."

"There's another issue," said Collins.

"Yes?" said the captain.

"What if Phantom decides to object to our line of questioning more physically?"

"You mean, if he attacks us?" asked Patterson.

Collins shrugged. "He is a ghost. And a kid. And we're putting a lot of pressure on him. I don't think any of that is conducive to rational decision making."

"I guess we can't argue that he isn't violent," said Patterson, making a face. "But what can we do? We can't definitively say what's going on."

Captain Jones glared at his desk as if it had offended him. Maybe it had. It was a horrible mess.

"We need to keep investigating," said the captain. "But I want you, all three of you, to be circumspect. We need a different explanation for why you're asking questions."

"Why?" asked Patterson. "Phantom already knows."

"Because of his 'enemies.'" Air quotes again. "We don't know who they are, or the real reason he's so anxious to keep everything quiet. We don't even know if he's talking about humans or ghosts. And," said Captain Jones, after a significant pause, "I don't want the Guys in White to get wind of this at all. They can have that corpse over mine, you got it?"

To Collins' great relief, the captain had chosen to deal with the Cult Division (aka Cameron Daily and his computer) himself, which left him and Patterson free to strategize on other fronts. Specifically, to whittle down which children they should interview, how they should be interviewed, and whether or not it was possible that any of them were Phantom.

"If he can shapeshift, then he can shapeshift," grumbled Collins, massaging his temples. It was far too early for this, and he'd been here until midnight yesterday, getting paperwork together and sending for class lists from the school. They'd had to explain why they wanted them. "His body type could be anything." He reached for his coffee. He was almost out.

"But," said Patterson, "we have his body. The body types match."

"He could have changed over two years," said Collins. "Teenagers usually do. He could have, I don't know, simulated a growth spurt in his human disguise, or whatever."

"Still, he couldn't have changed that much, not while escaping suspicion," argued Patterson.

Collins grunted. "Maybe," he agreed.

"And he's got to go to Casper High, he gets to ghost attacks there too fast for him to go to school anywhere else."

"Mhn," said Collins. "Sure, I guess."

"Has to be someone who's been there for two years, because of when everything started. So it can't be and of the freshmen or sophomores. Has to be someone who's an incoming junior or senior."

"Or someone who graduated last spring," said Collins.

"You're right," said Patterson. She tugged on the end of her braid. "That might complicate some things. Still. I think these are the most likely candidates." She pushed a list of circled names and pictures across their shared desk. "We can interview them today."

Collins glared at it, the way he glared at everything that wasn't coffee at this time of day. "Patterson, I thought we were doing interviews with kids to find the conspiracy theory kid."

"Well, we can do that, too, and ask around to see if anyone's been acting ghostly."

"Fine," said Collins. He squinted. "'Wesley Weston?' Dear god, who names their child that?"

"I don't know. It's better than some celebrity baby names that I've heard of," said Patterson, shrugging.

Collins put the list down and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "What was the theory again, anyway?" he asked. "That Phantom was the Fenton kid?"

"Daniel. Yeah. I've got him circled, here." Patterson tapped on the list.

"Do you think there's any merit to that?" asked Collins. "The Fentons are ghost hunters. You'd think they'd either notice and stop hunting him, or, well, you know."

"It would explain the ectoplasm, though. And maybe the electrical burns. They're inventors, too, and that thing on their roof has to have some kind of fancy wiring."

"That would be-" Collins wracked his brain for a suitable adjective and came up empty. He shook his head. "I don't think we can make that conclusion from a forum post you barely remember, Patterson. It sounds good, but-" He shook his head again.

"But it is pretty unbelievable. I still think we should ask him."

"Just like that?"

"Why not? You saw how he reacted to your question yesterday. His poker face needs work."

Collins' desk phone rang. He picked it up. "Detective Collins speaking," he said.

"Hey, this is Molly."

"Yeah? You have something new for us?"

"The body is gone."

"What?"

"Phantom's body. It's gone. I think there's been a break in."

I tentatively plan to continue this for day 25: Break.

#danny phantom #dannymay #dannymay 2020 #day 16

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